#-and says “haha imagine being like those losers. Not us though; right guys?” but the cool clique doesn't like him either

[kennys-parka-jacket]

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[shydroid3000]

OOO for the death note ask game, turning this back on you. 4, 7, and 23, again though you can pick a current favorite moment (lolol. indecision makers 😔😔) or just gimme some general misa thoughts if you’ve got em 👀

4. who’s your favorite underrated or obscure character? Okay, I'm gonna do my best to pick one that isn't too obvious, so: Sidoh! Haha. He's a weird little loser guy of a Shinigami and I love that. When he takes the notebook and touches it to the head of the one mafia guy while saying, "tag, you're it!"... or when he gets freaked out by Mello even though he himself is a literal god of death... I just find it very delightful. He's silly and pathetic in a way that really tickles my fancy lol. (The anime is much fresher in my mind so most of what I refer to will be anime-focussed; can't remember how manga version compares to anime with him). 7. was misa just as guilty as light? Ooh, guilt in relation to Misa and Light is interesting to think about. On the one hand, I do think that they're both culpable for their actions at the end of the day. I have maybe some more grace to extend Misa in terms of her having an understandable reason to go down that path, what with her parents being murdered (and almost being murdered herself). Like, that's a level of trauma that makes you go, 'yeah, I can understand why she was all-in on killing criminals with the death note, even if I don't agree.' Light, on the other hand, had this good, stable, pretty privileged home life, in addition to him being a top student, talented, handsome, etc. He's got less of an excuse, you know? The fact that Misa's drawn to Kira's ideals out of lived trauma, whereas Light is drawn to those ideals largely out of ego is sort of a meaningful distinction. (By ego I don't just mean the belief that he's exceptional, but I mean -- the way he is so desperately driven to protect his conception of himself as a Good Person. That's a tragic and heart-rending manifestation of ego, but it's still about protecting his ego). But I also think there's 'guilt' on the level of the actions and choices you make regardless of motivations, and I'd see them as more equal on that front. Misa was an enthusiastic DN user and participant in Kira's plans/ideology. She's motivated by different things than he is, but she makes her choices knowingly. I think it would be diminishing of her agency and complexity to say that she's less responsible for her actions than Light is, if that makes sense. (Also, there are things Misa is guilty of that Light isn't, and vice versa. E.g., Misa pushes Light's boundaries in a way that can be very uncomfortable; Light uses Misa/others without real regard for them).

Now, beyond all that... the question is obviously about their culpability for their use of the DN. But it also makes me think about each of their *experiences* of guilt internally, and that might be even more interesting to me. I think that their relationship to guilt is one of the things that makes them so divergent from one another. Because... running away from guilt is such a huge part of what propels Light to go all out with the Kira thing. So much of his psyche is shaped around that black pit of guilt where whispers of "I did a bad thing. If I did a bad thing I'm not a good person" come from. He diligently tries to cover over that and barricade it off. He crafts an ideology that makes his murders righteous, and commits to making a New World(tm) where the meaning of 'good/right' is reshaped around that. He makes himself a God so that his actions are beyond judgment, or at least he is, because his murders are divine - they're acts of creation, even of love and self-sacrifice. And then Misa... well, guilt doesn't seem to be as obvious a factor for her, whether as motivation or reaction. I mean, I could imagine a reading where there's some well of underlying guilt about the death of her parents and her survival -- I think that would make sense given the circumstances. But... we never actually see that kind of Bruce Wayne -esque psychology peeking through, so that feels more like headcanon territory than direct analysis. Obviously she has deep feelings about the murder of her parents, but she has a very different relationship to guilt than Light. She usually comes across as very free from guilt. She knows what she wants and what her priorities are, and she pursues those without shame. She's impressed by Kira so she becomes the second Kira; she decides she loves Light and wants to be with him regardless of whether he even likes her, so she pursues that undeterred by his response to her. It feels like Misa is always calmly pushing forward toward what she wants, whereas Light's sprint forward towards his New World is really a running-away-from. But at the same time... what kind of underlying emptiness would make someone so completely devotional in the way Misa is, wanting to devote themselves to someone who mostly loathes them, to the point of not even seeming to be hurt by that person's disdain for them as long as they can still have that person in their life? I think there's definitely beneath-the-surface stuff with Misa, but it comes across like guilt is a colour that just doesn't exist in her world. Whereas with Light, every shadow in his world is the colour of guilt. If goodness or righteousness are the rays of the sun, Light Yagami is the moon that reflects the sunlight while trying to create a reality in which those rays are his -- are him -- a reality in which he becomes the sun. And yet he's a moon, and the dark side of it that he disavows is guilt, is 'I did a bad thing', is 'what if I'm not a good boy?' (Wow, went overboard with the metaphors there but too lazy to edit lol). 23. what was your favorite moment and why? Ah, this is hard (guess it's my fault for asking you this one first haha). I'll try to pick 1 or 2 more serious moments and 1 or 2 silly ones lol. So, serious ones:

The warehouse/Light's downfall. Specifically the laughter, if I had to pick a moment. Excellent scene in both the manga and anime, but MY GOD I will never get over the sound of his laugh in the anime. I think about it every day. (Also looove the lip-twitching as he barely contains his deranged glee leading up to his "I win"). I also really like his death in both; his fear, being reduced back down to his humanity, in the most pathetic way. But the laugh moment wins out for me; the way everything that has been pent up, repressed, held back, filtered, pruned is just... unleashed. He's finally showing his real human emotion to other people in this unrestrained way, but it's so twisted as to be monstrous.

Also, the moment when L says Light is his first real friend. I know that Ohba said L is lying in that moment, but my own analytical framework doesn't prioritize authorial intention above all else. And I think there is so much complexity and richness in that moment. I don't think L is lying, but he is manipulating. And obviously even the truth within the statement is a complicated one. But I can't help but see a genuine sort of sweetness in there in that moment, amidst the mind games and adversarial context. Light and Ryuk's reactions in that moment are so excellent too. It feels like a moment where the world stops spinning, just for a microsecond. A moment where some alternate reality almost touches this one.

Silly ones (time for my sweet Matsuda to shine lol):

When L and Light are fighting during the 'date' with Misa and Matsuda calls the room to break it up, telling L some news about Misa's popularity. Then after L hangs up he's like, "Matsuda's acting stupid again." And Light is like, "well, that is his speciality." (The fact that belittling Matsuda actually does diffuse their fight LOL). And Matsuda is on the other end, his face dropping, like, "do they know we can hear them..?" haha. Just a perfect Matsuda/Light/L moment.

OBVIOUSLY the whole mattress gambit too lol

In the anime, when L reveals to the task force that he's actually all three of the world's top detectives, he says something like, "here, I'll give you this strawberry for keeping my secret." And then he holds out the strawberry he plucked from his cake and Mogi kind of vacantly takes it and puts it in his pocket LOL

Thank you for the ask!!! Sorry it took me ages to respond. It was half-done for a while but I wanted to add more thoughts to the second section and just got around to that lol.

ask game

[nanaosaki3940]

A Condition Called Love [Tokyo Revengers]

|| Tokyo Revengers ||

(Almost follows the canon storyline of TR & is up-to-date with the manga.) 

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Angst. 

Note: A very long post (A collection of snippets from my original Tokyo Revengers fanfic. I know this is an xOC fic but you can read it as self-insert)

TR masterlist

"When I see you, it's as if space and time become the finest point imaginable as if time collapses into one tiny speck and explodes at light speed. It's as if my universe begins and ends with you. I could run forever, search forever, but in the end, every path leads right back to your heart and soul. I love you, always."

- Keisuke Baji 

Nana's POV 

As far as I could recall my memories, I had known the Sano family for ages now. My father's family, the Osaki and the Sano (who were apparently also my neighbor) had been family friends for generations, was what I had been told by my parents and the others. So, growing up, the people I always found myself surrounded by (besides my own parents) were the Sano brothers and their idiotic friends.

Shinichiro Sano, the eldest son of the Sano family, also the founder and First Generation President of Black Dragon, had always been a kind and sympathetic individual; a total softie if I must say. Known by everyone in the delinquent world as the 'Weak King', Shinichiro was yet a terrible fighter but nonetheless a charming and charismatic leader. Back when he led all the tough guys in Tokyo, to me, Shinichiro sparkled brighter than anything. All the delinquents in Tokyo respected and idolized him, a guy who was weaker than them, and sometimes this confused the heck out of his younger brother Manjiro. 

"Shinichiro-Nii... Even though you suck at fighting, you're girl-crazy and your farts stink, how come all the guys like you?" Manjiro once asked him that. 

"Haha, you just don't get it yet, Manjiro." was what Shinichiro responded back then with a bright smile and a hearty chuckle.

Maybe back then Manjiro didn't understand what made his older brother so special, but I on the other hand knew and understood everything. In one of many memories of mine, I could recall how Shinichiro never liked taking those dojo classes with his grandfather and always skipped the classes whenever he got his sweet chance. In his words, he would rather hang around with his gang (the Black Dragon) while riding his bike across the city than spend hours at the dojo with Grandpa Sano who kept scolding him for everything like a broken radio.

But despite his carefree attitude, Shinichiro was sensible, responsible, and reliable. Whatever the situation was, Shinichiro was always there, right in the front, reaching out his hand to anyone who needed help and saving. Aside from that, he also had a charm that attracted people around him, but even with that charm, Shinichiro never resorted to violence. He was just so kind and earnest that even the people who fought him ended up liking him.

And that's why I was attracted to Shinichiro in the first place. Even when he playfully warned me - "Don't go falling for my good looks now" - I still ended up falling for him hard. Before I could even realize how it happened or when it happened, I was madly in love with Shinichiro Sano despite him being 10 years older than me.

Another thing that I could recall from the past was what his friends (Takeomi Akashi, Wakasa Imaushi, and Keizo Arashi) used to call him back then - "A loser in both fights and love" and it was because of his inability to fight despite him being the leader of a delinquent gang and him getting rejected by women 20 times consecutively. I never understood why girls never liked Shinichiro or why he got rejected every single time. Good looks, charming personality, leadership quality, strong morality - he had it all, yet women still rejected his love confessions without giving a thought to his feelings. And not just his looks and personality, he also had this aura of warmth and homeliness that could make anyone feel comfortable and safe around him and that he was the kind of person who would cry along with and for someone if they got hurt or were in pain of some sort. 

In my opinion, those women were really dumb for letting go of an angel like him because to me, there was no one else like Shinichiro Sano. 

On the other hand, his brother Manjiro, the youngest son of the Sano family, was quite the opposite of his older brother Shinichiro. Manjiro was selfish, bratty, clingy, and possessive, yet was sometimes sweet and understanding all at the same time. He was someone who looked down on the weak ones and deemed himself as the strongest in the whole of Shibuya, all the way back from our elementary school days. He was everything that Shinichiro wasn't, meaning his personality wasn't likable enough for me and my taste, but even so somehow Manjiro and I still managed to get along with each other pretty well and became best friends for life in the process. People around us used to say that I was quite mature for my age while Manjiro was the most childish one between the two of us, we somehow balanced each other despite being the polar opposite of one another. Growing up together ever since when we were still in diapers, Manjiro and I had known each other for the longest and because of that we were practically inseparable.

Even to this day, I could still remember all those beautiful memories of mine with the Sano family like how my parents were so good friends with Mrs. Sano (Shinichiro and Manjiro's mother) when they were all alive and well or how Shinichiro used to babysit me and Manjiro back in the days when he was still in middle or high school or how we used to play and spend our time together with Takeomi's (Shinichiro's friend) younger siblings named Haruchiyo and Senju at the Akashi residence with Shinichiro and Takeomi by our side and the list goes on and on. And in every single one of my memories, I always found Manjiro there with me by my side all the time, never once leaving me alone even for a single minute. As if I was his other half and he was mine.

Although I didn't have any clear memories of Mr. Sano (Shinichiro and Manjiro's father) because he died in a car accident when Manjiro and I were only 3 years old, I did use to hear stories from either Shinichiro or Mrs. Sano about him like how he was so kind and gentle as a person or how Manjiro got his looks from his father and everything. At school or on a playground, I never felt lonely or abandoned because of Manjiro. He was always there whenever I needed him whether it was to support me, cheer me up, or grace me with his "cool and mighty" presence. I thought as long as I had Manjiro with me, I wouldn't need anyone else. But then I was proven to be wrong not so long after. In our own little world full of rainbows and unicorns, when it was just me and Manjiro, someone else suddenly walked into our lives and changed the whole dynamic of our friendship; it was Keisuke Baji. 

Manjiro and I met Keisuke for the first time when all three of us were only four years old. Living in the same neighborhood as us, Keisuke just newly joined the Sano dojo to learn martial arts from Grandpa Sano while Manjiro and I were already a part of the student body back then. As time passed by at the Sano dojo, I started to learn more and more about Keisuke as a person before realizing that his personality rested somewhere in between my mature one and Manjiro's childish one.

From my point of view, Keisuke Baji was kind, obedient, bashful, gullible, somewhat playful and yet was also pretty much brainless, and stupid. But also at the same time, he was loud, competitive, aggressive, and violent. Keisuke was the first person in my life that I had seen someone having a major anger issue. And aside from his hotheadedness, he was also very perceptive of the things around him and was fiercely loyal to the ones he loved and cared for the most. In other words, Keisuke Baji was wild and free, like a bird soaring high up in the sky with its wings spread wide open. 

Back in the days, Keisuke always used to challenge Manjiro in fights to see who was better at martial arts but in the end, would always get his ass whipped by the blonde Sano boy, and being the only mature one in the group, I always had to step in and stop the fight before giving medical attention to the ravenette boy named Keisuke. 

"Good, that's enough!!" Grandpa Sano shouted out to the students, letting them know that the class was over for today. 

Manjiro, Keisuke, and I were also there in the midst of many students in the dojo, getting ready to pack things up, and at the moment, Shinichiro who was a middle schooler back then, sneaked into the dojo to pay us a small visit. 

"Yo, Nana-chan, Keisuke, what's up?" Shinichiro called out with a grin on his face, leaning back on the doorframe with his schoolbag slinging on his shoulder. "You two sure got a pretty solid body for little kids..." 

"Shinichiro-kun!" 

"Shin-chan!" 

Both Keisuke and I greeted him back with a bright smile, our eyes twinkling like the stars in the sky. But Shinichiro's smile on the other hand immediately vanished in thin air when we called out his name out loud. 

"Keep it down, you dummies!" Shinichiro scolded us lightly with a nervous look on his face before running away from there. 

"Shinichiro!!" Grandpa Sano yelled out with a scowling face but the ravenette Sano boy had already left the spot. "Dammit! Always messing around, never coming to the dojo. Don't you two turn out like him, Nana and Keisuke! Both of you got potential." 

"Y-Yes, sir!" Keisuke and I responded back nervously. 

And just then our attention shifted towards Manjiro who was still practicing his special move; high kicks. 

"Sensei, how come he's so good, even though he never practices?" Keisuke asked with furrowed eyebrows. 

"He's a prodigy!" Gramps replied in a proud tone. 

"Whaaat?! No fair! Why's he get to be the one?!" Keisuke complained. 

"Because he's my grandson!" Gramps smirked at Keisuke in response. 

But Keisuke being Keisuke wouldn't give up that easily and stomped towards Manjiro. 

"Hey, Sano! Spar with me!!" Keisuke demanded. 

"Huh? No way!" Manjiro immediately rejected the demand. "I don't wanna get all sweaty." 

"Then why would you come to the dojo?!" Keisuke asked, pointing at Manjiro in an accusation manner. 

"To show off how cool I am. I wanna stand out!" Manjiro replied, flashing out a cheeky grin. 

"Wow, what a jerk!" Keisuke grumbled out in frustration. 

And this wasn't the only time that happened. It later became a daily ritual where Keisuke would challenge Manjiro in a fight and then later get his ass whipped. 

"Damn that Sano!" Keisuke hissed out in frustration while I was putting bandages on his new scars and bruises. 

"Don't get mad, Kei-chan..." I stated in a soft tone and the boy locked his gaze on me. "I'm sure that someday you'll get stronger and beat Jiro-chan in a fight." 

"You believe I can do that, Nana-chan?" Keisuke asked, his gaze softened, and his voice filled with hope and anticipation. 

"Hmm!" I hummed before flashing out a bright smile. "You work hard a lot and you have dedication. Mommy and Daddy say that hard work and dedication always pay off, whatever you do." 

"Really?" 

"Yes! I believe in you, Kei-chan!" 

And right on cue, Keisuke's face went blushing red like a tomato. 

"You know what? I'll help you train, Kei-chan. That way you'll get stronger." I suggested and his eyes went wide open in response. 

"B-But I can't fight you, Nana-chan!" he stuttered out nervously. 

"Why not?" I asked with a pouty face and a frown. "I know I'm not as strong as Jiro-chan, but I can still help." 

"But you're a girl, Nana-chan. My Ma taught me not to hit girls. That's bad." he pointed out. 

"Violence on anyone or anything is bad in general, Kei-chan. And besides, you're not gonna hit me with bad intention, so it's okay." I shrugged and Keisuke's eyes softened again in response. 

"You're really nice, Nana-chan..." he stated in a gentle tone and my eyes widened a bit at his words.  

"You think so?" I asked, a small blush appearing on my face. 

"Yeah! I told my Ma about you and she says you're a nice girl!" he added before hopping on his own two feet. "You know what, Nana-chan? You should come to my house now that we're friends. We can play video games and eat yakisoba together!" 

"Okay!" I giggled out, standing up on my feet as well. "Do you have any anime and manga collections? I love reading manga, you know." 

"No way! Really? Me too!" he gasped out in surprise. 

"Then I guess we should hang out more often!" I laughed out in delight. 

"Yeah!" Keisuke responded back with a huge smile on his face.

And that's when I noticed his left sharp canine tooth poking out in between his closed lips as he continued to smile at me. Curiosity got the best of me as I reached out and touched his pointy tooth. 

"W-What are you doing?" he stuttered out and a wave of red flushed his cheeks. 

"Your canine tooth was poking out in between your closed lips. That's really cute, Kei-chan." I giggled at him again. 

"C-C-Cute?!" he gasped out in shock. 

"Yeah, cute!" I nodded my head in agreement. 

"I'm not cute! I'm manly! Stop teasing me, Nana-chan!" he grumbled out with pouty lips. 

"Huh? I'm not teasing you. I'm just stating the fact. And who said you can't be cute if you're manly? I think you can be both manly and cute at the same time if you want." I pointed out and his blush deepened even more than before. 

Yeap, Keisuke Baji sure was a cute and adorable boy back then. 

And speaking of cute and adorable, when we were like 5-6 years old, a new addition came into the Sano family all of a sudden; Emma Sano. Through my parents, I got to know that Emma's mother was Mr. Sano's second wife and was a year younger than me, Manjiro and Keisuke. Meaning that Emma was Shinichiro and Manjiro's half-sister.

Everything just happened all of a sudden and happened way too fast in my opinion.

On one bright day, Emma's mom suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the Sano residence with Emma and dropped her daughter there in the care of Grandpa Sano, and just left. And when I meant left, I meant she never came back for Emma again. So from that day onwards, Emma became a part of the Sano family and a part of our friend group. It was already weird enough for me to learn that Mr. Sano had another wife while Mrs. Sano (Shinichiro and Manjiro's mother) was still alive and now this? 

"Huh? Wow! So you got different moms?" Keisuke asked in surprise and amazement as the four of us (Me, Manjiro, Keisuke and Emma) sat on the floor at the dojo after today's practice before Keisuke looked over at Manjiro with a grin on his face. "Sounds like a foreigner's name." 

"I know right?" Manjiro grinned back. 

"Then I will be Edward. Ed for short." Keisuke suddenly stated out of nowhere. 

"And... I'll be Michael. Mikey for short." Manjiro added as the two boys continued to grin like idiots. 

"Huh? What the hell?" I deadpanned at those two while Emma remained unfazed. 

"Nana-chin, pick a foreign name for yourself!" Manjiro stated excitedly, looking over at me with a smirk. 

"No way in hell." I rejected him immediately. 

"You're no fun, Nana-chan!" Keisuke complained. 

"Oh, I know! It's 'Nina' for Nana-chin! Or, maybe 'Nancy'. Or, 'Nathalie'..." Manjiro went on and on. 

"I think I like Nina better!" Keisuke chimed in. 

"Nina it is then!" Manjiro finalized. 

"Hey, I never asked for an American name!" I snapped but those two idiots won't listen as they began to talk in broken English among themselves, causing me to let out a heavy sigh in response. "I give up. Those two are hopeless..." 

"To be honest I know..." Emma suddenly spoke up for the first time in hours and we all turned our attention to her. "I know how Mommy feels... Mommy hates me. That's why she got rid of me. I know, but she told me she would come to get me after she finished her errands. She said so..." 

And with that, she started to sob in front of us, tears flowing down her chubby cheeks. At that moment, I didn't know what to say to comfort her even though I wanted to. It wasn't like Emma and I became really close friends as soon as she arrived at the Sano residence, but I knew I wanted to be friends with her; my first female friend. 

"I want to make Emma-chan smile..." I spoke up at the dining table later that night while eating dinner. 

"You want to be friends with her?" Mom asked me with a smile and I nodded my head in response. 

"But I don't know how to approach her though..." I added with a pouty face. "Every time we practice at the dojo, she would just stand outside and watch us from the doorway." 

"Maybe she wants to learn martial arts, but is too shy to ask anyone to teach her?" Dad pointed out. "Maybe you can become her teacher. You already train with Keisuke after class, right? Ask her to join you guys." 

"That sounds like a plan!" I responded back with a bright smile, loving the idea my Dad gave me. 

And then according to my plan, I approached Emma the next day and asked her to join us for the training, and to my surprise, she happily agreed. It wasn't as hard as I imagined. Maybe she also wanted to be friends with us after all then. So every day after the dojo classes ended, Keisuke and I would stay back and teach Emma some of the martial art moves we knew. 

"You're learning from them, Emma?" 

The three of us looked over to the side and noticed Manjiro standing at the doorway with a deadpanned face and this offended me and Keisuke to no extent. 

"What do you mean 'learning from them', huh?!" Keisuke snapped, frowning his eyebrows at the blonde Sano boy. 

"Just because we're not as strong as you, Jiro-chan, doesn't mean we can't teach Emma-chan martial arts!" I added, crossing my arms over my chest. 

"Yeah! And besides, we're also getting stronger because of our hard work and dictation!" Keisuke stated proudly, puffing his chest. 

"Kei-chan, it's dedication, not dictation." I deadpanned at the ravenette boy. 

"Oh really?" Keisuke asked in confusion and I facepalmed myself in response. 

"I will be Mikey from now on..." Manjiro spoke up again as he walked over to us.  

"Huh?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow as we all gave him a confused look. 

"If your big bro's name is Mikey, then we match, so it's not weird, right? So it's just gonna be Mikey now, Emma." Manjiro clarified himself and hearing this, Emma let out a chuckle in amusement. 

"Wah, she finally laughed!" Keisuke whispered into my ear in surprise. 

"I know right?" I whispered back, surprised as well. 

"You don't get girls at all. I wasn't worried about my name." Emma continued to giggle.

"Ah, you smiled." Manjiro pointed out before his lips curled up into a small smirk. "Don't fall for me now."

"No way, stupid. You are not my type." Emma responded back in a sassy manner. 

And from that day onwards we shared a bond that was completely unbreakable. 

At the age of six, I lost both of my parents in a car accident. My relatives rejected me, saying that I'd be a burden to them. And in a difficult situation like this, the Sano family was kind enough to take me in and give me a roof over my head. Mrs. Sano, Grandpa Sano, Shinichiro, Manjiro, and Emma, all welcomed me into their family with open arms. They became my 2nd family, my 2nd home. Even though I was very young back then, I started to come to terms with my parents' deaths and began to cope with the situation I was in. For myself, to survive in this cruel world, I needed to become strong, both mentally and emotionally. Instead of mourning over my parents' death, I needed to move on with my life, or else I'd never find happiness like this.

As things started to get a little better for me, another tragedy hit us like a typhoon; Mrs. Sano passed away from an illness after being hospitalized for months, just two years after the death of my parents. 

To me, Mrs. Sano was like my second mother and she loved me like her own child. Her death was another shock that I had to cope with along with the Sano family. When Mrs. Sano was still alive, I remember how Manjiro and I used to go visit her in the hospital once a week before going back home after school. There we used to spend hours with her telling her stories of what we did at school or at home and everything. And Manjiro being Manjiro would always share his 'heroic' tales with his mother of how he beat up some random kids at school or at the park, claiming how strong he was. That cocky little shit Manjiro made his mission of asserting his dominance in the whole of Shibuya back then. 

"I met this big guy from East elementary's third grade and I beat him up." Manjiro stated proudly with a huge grin as he and I sat on a chair beside the hospital bed. 

"You're so strong, Manjiro. Just like your father." Mrs. Sano responded back with a warm smile. 

"But violence is bad. Don't you think so too, aunty?" I chimed in and Manjiro threw a dirty glare at me. 

"That's true though. What Nana-chan said is also right." Mrs. Sano added, agreeing with me. 

"You're just saying that because you're weak, Nana-chin!" Manjiro snapped at me. 

"No, you're wrong. I'm not weak and I can fight!" I snapped back, huffing and crossing my arms over my chest. "Unlike you, I'm not a violent person and I don't pick up fights with random people to assert my dominance! Not to mention you always make them cry!" 

"They cry because they're weak. It's their fault that they're weak!" Manjiro tried to reason. 

"But children cry easily, don't they?" Mrs. Sano asked with a smile. 

"Did Daddy also cry easily?" Manjiro asked. 

"I wonder if he ever cried in public though?" Mrs. Sano wondered before her lips curled up into a smile. "That man was hopeless..." 

The way she smiled, I knew she was thinking about Mr. Sano at that moment. There were times when Mrs. Sano used to tell us stories about Mr. Sano which clearly indicated how much she still loved him and missed him. 

"You love Daddy very much, don't you, Mom?" Manjiro asked, tilting his head to the side. 

"You think so?" Mrs. Sano chuckled out with a smile. 

"Well, then I'll be like Daddy too!" Manjiro stated with a big grin on his face. 

But that happiness didn't last long when Mrs. Sano's condition worsened even more. I could still remember the last encounter I had with her. We all went to visit her one last time at the hospital where Manjiro boasted about his victories in fights as usual, and stated that weak guys did not cry so he will not cry as well. He also promised to protect her. However, Mrs. Sano told him that, just because he did not cry did not mean that he was strong. She also revealed that he used to be a crybaby when he was younger. To lighten the heavy situation, I even ridiculed him for being a "crybaby" which made Manjiro furious but Mrs. Sano and I simply shrugged him off and laughed away together. 

Three days later after our final visit, Mrs. Sano took her last breath and passed away. The Sano family and I all went to visit her at the hospital where her lifeless body was kept in a room, and there we all grieved and sobbed, except for Manjiro. At first, I was worried, wondering where he went but later I found him in one of the hospital corridors bawling his eyes out. Manjiro wanted to be strong. He wanted to appear strong. He didn't want to be deemed as weak. That's why he always went around and beat up people in order to prove a point that he was the strongest in the area he was at. And because of that, he didn't shed tears during his final visit to his mother. Even at that moment, he didn't want his family to see him cry like this.

I understood how he felt. I understood his pain. After all, I was also an orphan like him. I didn't say a word and simply walked over to him before pulling him into a bear hug. I let him cry silently on my shoulders. Manjiro knew I won't tell anyone about him shedding tears. We might bicker with each other every now and then, but when it came to keeping secrets, we always trusted each other to no extent. 

"Nana-chin, promise me you'll never leave my side..." he sobbed causing me to tighten my grip around him even more.  

"I promise, Manjiro... I promise...." 

Even though I said I understood his pain and suffering as a fellow orphan, I actually never realized what he was actually going through after his mother passed away. As time went by, I noticed some sudden changes in Manjiro which were very concerning. He was getting more and more aggressive and violent and started picking up fights with even older guys on the streets and alleyways. When I confronted him about this, Manjiro explained his situation to me - "Dark Impulse".

He explained that something dark was growing inside him and whenever he succumbed to that darkness, it conflicted with the aspects of his personality and contradicted his behavior like how he felt attracted to violence and wanted to embrace a life of violence by committing multiple atrocities or otherwise or how his emotions would shut down and that would make him act indifferent towards anyone while holding a cold poker face or how he felt capable of hurting or even gunning down his dear ones. 

At first, I got worried about his mental state when he told me all of that but then he also assured me that his "Dark Impulse" was in complete control and that there was nothing to be afraid of. As gullible as I was back then, I believed his words and that was the biggest mistake of my entire life. 

While growing up, besides Emma, Manjiro and Keisuke, I also became good friends with Takeomi's (Shinichiro's friend) younger siblings named Haruchiyo and Senju. Those two were also the same age as me and the others and we always used to play together at the Sano residence all the time. There was this one time Shinichiro made a toy plane for Manjiro which caught almost everyone's attention and I could still remember how Keisuke, Haruchiyo, and I used to chase after him and begged him to let us play with his toy, but Manjiro being selfish and possessive as always never shared his toy with us.

Senju was no different from us when it came to this aspect. She was also fascinated with Manjiro's toy plane and wished to have one for herself someday. One day, her wish almost came true when she sneaked into Manjiro's bedroom and found the plane sitting on top of a small shelf. Greed and curiosity got the best of her as she took the plane to play with it around the living room only for her to trip by accident and break the toy in the process. It didn't take long for Manjiro to find out about the condition of his toy and when Senju tried to apologize to him, he asked her who broke the toy and she lied, saying it was Haruchiyo just to escape from Manjiro's wrath. 

I wasn't sure how things later went down as I was hanging out with Emma in her bedroom, but when I heard Keisuke and Haruchiyo screaming, I immediately dashed out of the room and went outside to see what happened. There in the garden, I found Haruchiyo kneeling down on the ground with the corner of his mouth ripped out, blood gushing out from the wounds. Manjiro was standing right in front of him, his hands soaked in blood, eyes hollow and soulless. A trembling Keisuke was also on the ground just a few feet away from them, shocked and horrified, staring at Manjiro in utter bewilderment. I also found Senju standing on the porch of Sano dojo with her arms wrapped around herself, shaking in fear and horror. 

"Oh my God! Haru!!" I cried out in concern before rushing over to his side. "Shin-chan! Take-chan! Come outside, quick!!" 

I immediately pulled out my clean handkerchief and held it against Haruchiyo's mouth to stop the bleeding. I then looked over at Keisuke and found him still on the ground, shocked. 

"Keisuke! Go and get Shin-chan and Take-chan! Quick!" I ordered causing Keisuke to snap out of his trance. 

Keisuke didn't utter a single word in response and immediately obeyed as I said, getting up and rushing back into the house to get Shinichiro and Takeomi. 

"Laugh, Haruchiyo." Manjiro demanded in a cold tone and I looked back at him with a frown. 

"Manjiro, stop it! That's enough!" I snapped at him but my words didn't reach his ears. 

"Laugh, Haruchiyo." he repeated his words which Haruchiyo obeyed as he started to laugh out loud with tears rolling down his cheeks. 

There it was, the "Dark Impulse". I knew Manjiro had some mental issues. He admitted that to himself. But I never realized it was this bad. At that moment as Manjiro stood in front of me and Haruchiyo, staring down at us with those soulless eyes, he looked like a goddamn murderer from my point of view. And for the first time in my life, I felt terrified and threatened by Manjiro Sano. 

From there, things changed a bit between me and Manjiro after what he did to Haruchiyo. Sure, I still talked to him and was still friends with him, but I always kept a distance between the two of us out of sheer fear and terror. And me pushing Manjiro away from me brought me even closer to Keisuke in the process. Sure, Keisuke was a bit violent and had anger issues, but he wasn't as terrifying as Manjiro was.

Two years passed by since that incident and when we were all at the age of ten, we met Ken Ryuguji aka Draken for the first time.

"You defeated three high school students in seconds while you are only in 5th grade?! Are you a monster?!" Keisuke gasped out in shock as we were walking back home from school that day. 

"As expected from Mikey." Haruchiyo chimed in with a smile. 

'How is he even friends with Manjiro after that incident?' I thought to myself, looking over at Haruchiyo in concern.

"Hm, yeah, just like a biker gang." Manjiro mumbled to himself with a lollipop in his mouth.

"By the way Mikey, I don't know if you heard about Yamamoto from class 2." Keisuke spoke up again.

"He was being blackmailed by first-year high school students... Apparently, he was saved by a boy from elementary school class 4." Haruchiyo informed.

"Wow. Sounds like a great guy. From elementary school class 4, right?" Manjiro asked with curiosity.

"Not only that, even though he is in 5th grade like us, he has a dragon tattoo on his temple." Haruchiyo added.  

"What kind of guy is he?" Keisuke wondered. 

"Sounds like trouble to me." I scoffed. 

"If I am not mistaken... He's called Draken!" Haruchiyo went on.

"What a strange name." Manjiro commented.

"Ah! The other day I picked up an erotic magazine... It had a strange name like 'The 48 Positions'..." Keisuke chimed in, suddenly changing the topic. 

"Keisuke, you perv. You started reading porn at this young age? How disgraceful." I deadpanned at him. 

"I-I didn't read it, Nana-chan! I just happened to read the title on the cover only! Believe me!" Keisuke stuttered out in embarrassment, trying his best to convince me that he wasn't a pervert. 

"Yeah right. As if I'm gonna believe that." I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him. 

Keisuke was about to say something back when suddenly a familiar voice spoke up from the other side of the road, catching our attention.

"Ah, Mikey-kun!" 

We looked over to the side to see one of our classmates standing there with a tall, blonde-haired unknown boy who had a dragon tattoo on the left side of his temple. It took me a few seconds to realize who this unknown boy was; it was Draken. 

"A boy with a dragon tattoo on his temple..." Keisuke trailed off. 

"That's Draken!" Haruchiyo gasped out in a whispered tone. 

This caught Manjiro's curiosity and he immediately walked over to Draken with me, Keisuke, and Haruchiyo following him from behind. 

"Hey, don't you think the name 'The 48 Positions' is weird? I mean some of the 48 positions are overlapping, right?" Manjiro asked Draken, causing the taller boy to look at the shorter one in utter confusion. 

"Eh? What?" Draken asked. 

"No matter how you think about it, there's barely a forty of it. What do you think?" Manjiro questioned again.  

"What do I think? I never even heard of that." Draken trailed off before I smacked Manjiro hard on the back of his head. 

"Ow! Nana-chin!" Manjiro cried out in pain, looking back at me with a dirty glare and pouty lips. 

"Mikey, you friggin moron." Keisuke grumbled under in breath. 

"Baka!! You can't just ask a guy you just met about porn magazines!!" I snapped and Draken's face immediately went hot red in embarrassment upon hearing my words before I looked back at him with an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. He's a confused child." 

"It's okay, I guess..." Draken trailed off before looking back at Manjiro. "Erm, you're Mikey, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. What is it?" Manjiro asked with curiosity.

"Some dudes from middle school asked me to take you to them." Draken stated.

"Huh?" Manjiro asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well... I won't force you." Draken responded back hesitantly.

"Okay!" Manjiro replied, his lips curling up into a smile. 

"Manjiro." I called out in a warning tone but the said boy ignored me.

"I'll come along because you asked me. I'll go put my stuff at school first." Manjiro added and I immediately stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"No need for that. Walking back to school will just waste our time. Give your bag to me." I stated before taking his schoolbag from his shoulders. 

Draken then led us to a local parking lot in the neighborhood where we noticed a gang of middle schoolers waiting there, especially for Manjiro's arrival. Manjiro still looked relaxed and unbothered as if dealing with gangs like these was just another part of his everyday routine. 

"Hey, I brought him." Draken spoke up with his hands in his pockets. "This guy's Mikey-" 

Draken couldn't even finish his sentence as Manjiro dashed forward to those boys before jumping high up in the air and landing straight on the face of the leader, kicking him in the process. The leader was immediately knocked out cold, blood profusely gushing out of his nose while Manjiro landed on the ground with ease before looking back at the other gang members with a scary look on his face.

"Holy shit!" Draken gasped out in shock with widened eyes. 

"He really is a monster!" Keisuke commented. 

"That's Mikey for ya!" Haruchiyo laughed. 

"Show-off..." I sighed heavily, shaking my head. 

"So what do some mama's boys who gotta gang up on others want with me?" he asked coldly, his lips curling up into a cocky smirk. "I'm Mikey-sama from 7th Elementary." 

It didn't take long before the whole gang ran away from the spot in fear and terror, leaving the rest of us in the parking lot alone.

"You're Draken from 4th elementary, right? Why is a badass like you hanging out with those pieces of shit?" Manjiro asked before a warm smile formed on his face. "Let's be friends, Ken-chin!" 

In response, Draken smiled back before looking back at the rest of us. 

"Sorry, I didn't get your names yet..." he stated awkwardly. 

"Nana Osaki." 

"Keisuke Baji." 

"Haruchiyo Akashi." 

The three of us happily introduced ourselves to him and before we knew it, Draken also became a part of our group; a delightful addition and a reliable friend. 

Speaking of delightful addition, we had another one in our group after we befriended Draken; it was Takashi Mitsuya. We met Mitsuya through Draken not long after Draken became a part of our group. Similar to Draken, Mitsuya was a calm level-headed person who always served as the main source of positivity in our group. Despite his rough upbringing, he always tackled every day with a smile. Mitsuya was a pacifist, preferring to not get into an altercation if possible, but at the same time, won't hesitate to fight to protect what was dear to him. He never showed his angrier side to us and always kept his head cool.

Mitsuya also had two younger sisters named Luna and Mana and they meant the whole world to him which showcased how loving and caring he was as a person. And since their mother was rarely at home due to work, Mitsuya took the responsibility of raising his sisters by himself, acting more as the parent than as an older brother in their lives. Mitsuya and I immediately became good friends from the get-go and our friendship later deepened even more when his sisters also took a liking to me. Since I didn't have any younger siblings myself, becoming Luna and Mana's "onee-chan" was just a wonderful experience in my life. 

Soon after Mitsuya joined the group, Manjiro and Keisuke brought another boy into our lives and he was Kazutora Hanemiya. 

As soon as he arrived in our group, Kazutora became quite attached to Keisuke in a short period of time. I was completely okay with Keisuke and Kazutora's newfound friendship until I observed something odd about the latter. Unlike Draken and Mitsuya, something was off about Kazutora. I didn't know what it was but something about him was peculiar. Usually, Kazutora was calm and chill to hang around with but whenever there was a tough situation he would always talk about violence, fighting, and breaking bones. In short, he was fairly unstable, sadistic, and incredibly violent. 

On top of that, his violent tendencies were rubbing off on Keisuke and that had me concerned. Keisuke had always been a violent and hot-headed person ever since his younger days, someone who was hard to control, so the last thing I would ever want was Kazutora's bad influence in his life. While Manjiro was becoming calmer because of Draken's influence in his life, the exact opposite thing was happening to Keisuke because of Kazutora's influence in his life. And because of that, I always kept my eyes on Keisuke and Kazutora just in case they ever got into any trouble. I knew I couldn't stop Keisuke from becoming friends with Kazutora, but at least I could just stick by his side and make sure he didn't do anything stupid and irrational along the way of life. 

Unlike Manjiro and Keisuke, I wasn't aware of Kazutora's family situation until I started to hang out with him even more. From the man himself, I learned that Kazutora grew up in an abusive household in a case of domestic violence where his father was the abuser and his mother was the one being abused. At a very young age, his mother always forced him to pick between the parents, and because of all these things, Kazutora grew to scorn upon other happy families. Something as simple as seeing children having tender moments with their parents always trigger a sore spot within Kazutora and irritated him deeply. 

I knew I would never understand Kazutora's pain and suffering, but I still wanted to try and understand him. Unlike Kazutora, I grew up in happy and healthy families. I remember my Mom and Dad being loving and caring individuals in general and from what I could recall, they always shared a healthy marital relationship with each other and because of that, I led a very happy life with them till they passed away. After the death of my parents, the Sanos who became my 2nd family took me in and they gave me all the love, care, and respect in the world they believed I deserved. Unlike Kazutora, I was loved and wanted. So, I would never understand his pain, but I was willing to understand him and be friends with him. 

On June 19, 2003, Tokyo Manji Gang was formed in front of Musashi Shrine with Manjiro as the Commander, Draken as the Vice-Commander, Mitsuya as the Elite Guard Commander, another new friend added to the group named Pah-chin as the banner carrier, and last but not least Keisuke and Kazutora as the Attack Unit. Keisuke was the one who came up with the idea after we learned that Kazutora was getting bullied by the 9th Generation Black Dragon; the same gang which was initially created by Shinichiro years back when he was also the Commander of the 1st Generation Black Dragon. I was kind of against the whole plan of creating a gang like this knowing how gang life could get nasty and brutal through Shinichiro's experiences, but since it was about protecting each other from the outside terrors, I finally gave in to the idea. "A gang where we can all risk our lives for each other" - was the motto of the Tokyo Manji Gang, something that Keisuke came up with as well. 

"Nana-chin! I want you in my gang as the Advisor! The brain of the group!" Manjiro demanded and I deadpanned at him in response. 

"No way in hell." I scoffed at him while the other boys watched the two of us bickering from the side with amusement. 

"Huh?! Why not?!" he exclaimed out in shock. 

"Your gang's name is Tokyo Manjiro Gang. Who the fuck even name their gang after their Commander's first name? I ain't joining a gang with such a shitty name." 

"Are you saying my first name is shitty?!" 

"Yes." 

"So cruel! You suck, Nana-chin!!" 

"Right back at ya, Manjiro. If it was Shin-chan, probably I'd have given a second thought, but with you as the Commander, I'll pass." 

"Why are you so obsessed with my big bro?! He's too old for you!!" 

"It's called falling in love, Manjiro. You won't get it. And I've my reasons for liking Shin-chan. He's charming and charismatic, unlike you." 

"What did you say?!" 

"You heard me. You don't even fit as a leader. You always fall asleep in the backseat while riding a bike, you make us do your shit, all day you do is eat and sleep and never do anything productive, you make us carry you on the back like a potato sack, you suck at making decisions and choices and the list goes on and on. So there's no way in hell I'm working under you, bitch." 

"Bitch?! You're gonna pay for this, Nana-chin!!!" 

"Hey, stop that!! Don't cling on my back like a goddamn monkey!! Manjiro, don't you fucking dare pull my hair!! I'm gonna fucking kill ya!!" 

"Will this ever gonna stop?" Mitsuya asked as he and the rest of the gang continued to stare at me and Manjiro with deadpanned faces. 

"Not until the next few hours." Draken sighed while rubbing his forehead. 

"The drawback of being friends with one another since the diaper days..." Pah-chin commented in amusement. 

More time passed by and before I could even realize it, it was already the month of August in 2003. Shinichiro's birthday went by on 1st August and now Manjiro's birthday was coming up very soon which was on 20th August. And so, Shinichiro and I decided to make plans for cocky little shit Manjiro together for that year. 

Despite all his delinquent ways as a teenager, Shinichiro grew up to be a respectable adult in the end. Mature, responsible, sensible, dependable - these were the perfect words that could describe the adult Shinichiro Sano and these qualities were the reasons why I swooned over him in the first place. There were those days when I would spend hours with Shinichiro at his bike shop "S.S MOTORS" and we would talk to each other non-stop. We talked about anything and everything that came into our minds, from how we started our days to how we ended them. Or sometimes, we talked about our likes or dislikes, any new books or manga that I had read, any new TV shows or movies that he watched, his past life as a delinquent, those golden eras of gang life, and the list could go on forever. Shinichiro and I never got bored as long as we had each other. And even in those days, when we didn't talk much, just sitting there beside Shinichiro in silence made me feel that I wasn't alone in this world. I didn't know what supernatural power Shinichiro possessed, but his presence was soothing which always made me feel relaxed and safe around him. 

There were those other times when he would call Wakasa and Benkei over to his bike shop and they would bicker all day long while I would watch them quietly from the side with a content smile on my face. Then when it would get extra late, Benkei would go home while Wakasa would stick around and pull out a shogi board before asking me to play with him. I never thought someone like Wakasa Imaushi would be interested in a board game like shogi, but he always claimed it got his brain going. And then Wakasa and I would continue to play the board game while Shinichiro would work late into the night. At one point in time, Shinichiro would call it a day and join us in the game as well. Despite never being able to beat Wakasa in a game who was extremely good at strategizing and thinking ahead, I always won against Shinichiro who was way too cocky about his abilities for his own good and after losing against a kid like me, Wakasa would always rub my victory in Shinichiro's cute, pouty face. 

And this never changed between the three of us. It was a regular routine that we religiously followed, but only this time around we were hanging out at Wakasa's gym instead of Shinichiro's bike shop. Wakasa's gym was located in the opposite direction of Shinichiro's bike shop, on the other side of the road, and because of that, through the windows of the gym, we could easily see the bike shop from the other side. 

"A bike? As Manjiro's birthday gift?" I asked, looking up from the shogi board. 

"Yeap. A CB250T motorcycle." Shinichiro replied with a toothy grin. 

"That's the bike Mikey always wanted, right?" Wakasa asked, leaning back in his seat. 

"Yeah... Looks like Manjiro has to say goodbye to his dear old moped now." I stated, stretching my arms up. 

"Did that moped have a name?" Wakasa asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah. Street Hawk." I replied with a smile, recalling just how a few days ago Manjiro kicked his own moped because some gang bullied Keisuke and shit.  

"That's so like Mikey." Wakasa chuckled in response. 

"And what do you want for your birthday this year, Nana-chan?" Shinichiro asked me with a bright smile, leaning towards my side. 

"It's August now. My birthday is in December." I pointed out. 

"Won't hurt if we started planning right now." Shinichiro shrugged and I took a moment to think about what I wanted from him. 

"Then take me on a date on my birthday this year." I responded back causing Shinichiro to choke on his cola while Wakasa stared at us in amusement. 

"D-D-DATE?!" Shinichiro stuttered out, his face erupting hot red like lava. "Y-You and I on a date-" 

"Don't worry. It won't be a romantic date, Shin-chan." I spoke up with a smile, trying to calm him down. "It's gonna be just you and me hanging out together all day long. We can go to an amusement park or to a movie theatre, grab some lunch at a restaurant, or maybe go to an arcade or bawling center, maybe sing our hearts out at karaoke, take a quiet stroll at a park while eating our favorite ice creams, and then when the sun goes down and the stars come out, we can go on a long ride on the outskirts of Tokyo on your fancy little bike." 

"Wow. Nana-chan's so mature." Wakasa commented in amazement. "Look at all the plans she made. But why you wanna go with Shin? I thought you and I were soulmates." 

"No, we're not. You're being delusional, Waka-chan." I stated in a cool tone. 

"You wounded me, princess." Wakasa sighed dramatically before looking back at Shinichiro. "Do you have any clue what to do on dates?" 

Immediately Shinichiro went completely silent, his lips forming a tight thin line. 

"I didn't know you were this clueless, Shin-chan. Even Keisuke knows better than you. Last week he even took me on a yakisoba date after school, you know." I informed. 

"Keisuke took you on a date?!" Shinichiro asked in surprise. 

"Looks like Baji's finally becoming a man, huh?!" Wakasa laughed out loud. "Hey Shin, might as well take some tips from Baji if you need any." 

"Fuck off, Waka!" Shinichiro snapped before standing up from his seat. 

"Where are you going?" I asked as I watched him walking towards the entrance of the gym. 

"I left my cigarettes in the shop. Be right back." Shinichiro replied. 

"You can take mine if you want..." Wakasa suggested, pulling out a cigarette packet - Black Stone, cheery flavor. 

"Nah, I don't smoke that shit." Shinichiro scoffed. "Seven Stars is the only one for me." 

"What's up with you guys and those cancer sticks? You two should stop smoking. They make your breath smell bad." I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. 

"One day, Nana-chan! One day!~" Shinichiro sang out before leaving the gym. 

"Shin's lucky to have some like you, Nana-chan..." Wakasa stated with a warm smile on his face. "We all thought he might die a virgin, but looks like that won't be the case anymore. Finally, there's someone who took interest in our poor little Shin!" 

"Yeah, someone who's 10 years younger than him. Is it weird for me to love him?" I asked and Wakasa shook his head. 

"Age-gap relationship is common around the world. There's nothing weird about it. But yes, at the same time, both the partners in this kind of relationship have to be of appropriate ages. And that's why you need to wait a bit longer, Nana-chan. First, grow up and become an adult. Till then I'll make sure Shin's here, waiting for you." Wakasa responded back with a toothy grin causing me to smile back. 

Although Wakasa's words did bring some hope and happiness to me, I never took into consideration to such possibility that his words might never come true, that it would be the last time we would be seeing 23-year-old Shinichiro Sano alive and breathing when he walked out of the gym in front of our eyes that very night. 

As if the whole universe stopped moving and every law of physics stopped working. To me, the world became monotone, dull and lifeless. I felt numb and weak. It felt like all my life's energy was sucked out of my body. And the reason I was feeling all of this was because of one thing; Shinichiro Sano passed away - or to be more precise about it - had been murdered by Kazutora Hanemiya. The fact that Shinichiro was gone for good and was never coming back, the fact that Kazutora was the one who killed him or the fact that Keisuke was there during the time of the incident and witnessed everything in firsthand, it was so difficult for me to come to terms with either of those facts and accept them.

At first, I was in denial when I saw Shinichiro's lifeless body in front of me and it went like that for the next few days but as soon as the reality hit me, the next thing I knew was tears rolling down my cheeks like waterfalls until my tear ducts went completely dry, leaving me with a painful headache. Grieving and crying, organizing and attending the funeral, handling and consoling the other two Sano siblings, coping and moving on from Shinichiro's death - all of these took a huge toll on me, leaving me completely lifeless on the inside. 

The last time I saw Keisuke was the night of the incident; when Wakasa and I started to wonder what was taking Shinichiro so long just to grab a packet of cigarettes, we went up to his bike shop to check up on him, and there I came face to face with that horrifying scene - Shinichiro laying on the floor lifeless with blood gushing out from the back of his head, a trembling teary-eyed Keisuke kneeling beside Shinichiro's unmoving body with a horrified look on his face and a petrified Kazutora standing beside them with a heavy metal tool in his hand which he might have used to hit Shinichiro on the back of the head from behind. 

"What do you want, Keisuke?" I asked in a cold tone.

There he was, Keisuke Baji, standing before me in the middle of my bedroom while I sat on my bed, staring him down with a hard expression. 

“I-I want to explain everything that happened and I want to say sorry...” Keisuke spoke up, serious and devoid of any emotion other than guilt. "I know you're mad and you've every right to hate me, but I also want you to listen to what I've to say. So please..." 

I didn't respond back and simply stared at him with cold eyes which was a cue for him to continue talking. He started to explain how Kazutora suggested stealing a bike for Manjiro’s birthday, how the two of them broke into the shop, how Keisuke recognized Shinichiro and tried to call for Kazutora, but his friend was so high on adrenaline and fear that he just didn’t stop in time, how Kazutora didn’t want to harm Shinichiro and how guilty he felt afterward, how Keisuke got away with hefty fine his mother had to pay, while Kazutora, being the one to commit the act of murder, was sentenced to two years in a juvenile detention center. 

"At first, I didn't want to do it. I was totally against the idea, but Kazutora kept on saying how Mikey would be happy if he got the bike and-" 

"I already know everything, Keisuke." I cut him off mid-sentence, furrowing my eyebrows a bit. "I wanna know... why are you here, Keisuke?" 

"I want you to forgive Kazutora..." 

"Huh?" 

"I said I want you to-" 

"I heard what you said just now. But why are you asking this for Kazutora?" 

Keisuke was here to make an appeal for Kazutora, but not for himself. Why was he so damn selfless?

"Nana, listen, he-"

"There's no way in hell I'm forgiving him for murdering Shin-chan, Keisuke. Don't you get it? Shin-chan is gone and he's never coming back. And Kazutora is the reason why Shin-chan is dead in the first place. Manjiro and Emma lost their brother. Gramps lost his grandson. I lost my childhood best friend, the love of my life, my first and only love. I was in love with Shin-chan for years now, Keisuke, years. For years, I kept loving him. And now all of a sudden he's gone for good because of Kazutora and you're asking me to forgive that guy? Have you lost your sanity just like Kazutora or what?" 

Silence filled the room once I stopped talking as I watched Keisuke looking down at the floor with shame and guilt. 

"What did Manjiro say?" I spoke up again. 

"Mikey forgave me, but not Kazutora." he muttered out in a low tone. 

"That's fair. I don't blame him for that." I shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Keisuke..." 

The said boy looked up again and met my gaze. 

"There's a saying that goes like - "Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from your mistakes, but never regret"... Have you ever heard about this saying before?" I asked and in response, he shook his head. "Well, but now you did... Keisuke, I don't know what Manjiro's current feelings for Kazutora are like and honestly, I don't care if Manjiro forgives him or not. The truth is I can't either forgive or forget. I can't forgive Kazutora for killing Shin-chan and I can't forget how Shin-chan lost his life. And talking about mistakes and regrets, it was my mistake that I allowed you to hang out with Kazutora in the first place, it was my mistake that I let you become friends with him, it was my mistake that I didn't pull you away from Kazutora when I had the chance. I'm learning from my mistakes, Keisuke. Meeting and becoming friends with Kazutora was a mistake, mine and everyone else. And from those mistakes, I learned not to associate myself with Kazutora anymore and I don't regret this decision, Keisuke. And also, I already forgave you and I hold no grudge against you. That's my final decision and you can't change my mind in any way possible. So take it or leave it, your choice." 

And with that silence filled the room once again as I continued to stare at my childhood best friend named Keisuke Baji - loyal, generous, trustworthy, dependable, a self-sacrificial idiot with violent tendencies and the need to destroy. 

"You shouldn't forgive me that easily, Nana..." he whispered out, eyes getting teary as he spoke. 

"But I just did..." I responded back calmly. 

"I was there when Shinichiro-kun got killed and I couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening." 

"I know but you weren't the one who killed him..." 

"I'm an idiot and I only bring destruction in life." 

"I know you do." 

"You should stay away from me." 

"You know I can't do that..." 

"Nana..." Keisuke trailed off in a soft tone before he walked over and stood a few inches away from me while I kept sitting on my bed. "Can I ask you a favor?" 

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and his eyes softened at me even more. 

"From now on, can you let me protect you and stay by your side till my last breath?" 

At one evening (2005) 

Right now, I was at Keisuke's apartment, helping him out with his studies and upcoming test. Keisuke Baji might not be the brightest flower on the field (certainly the prettiest of course), but he was very eager to learn. As his smarter study buddy since our elementary school days, a study date at his place was my way of saying sorry to him for ditching our yakisoba lunch date this afternoon. When I walked into the Baji residence, I was warmly welcomed by Keisuke's mother and his only parent, Ryoko Baji who greeted me with a friendly smirk and hair ruffle before she started to yell and kick Keisuke again (which she was probably doing earlier before my arrival).  

Much like her son, Ryoko Baji had a violent and short-tempered nature that would quickly lead to an aggressive attitude which could be heavily suggested that Keisuke got his unpleasant traits from his mother. However, unlike her son, Ryoko was normally able to be very cool and calm at times especially towards me because, in her eyes, I was a nice and polite kid. She was also someone who would always recognize the flaws in her son and would also be really worried about him like any normal parent should.

Ryoko always disapproved of Keisuke's violent attitude and would even smack or yell at him (not in an abusive way) for his actions (and by actions I meant him getting into fights almost every day and burning down cars just because he was craving peyoung yakisoba). Despite recognizing all of Keisuke's flaws, Ryoko always desired that he would be a good boy and would do better in his studies and school. 

When I met her for the first time, I was only five years old back. It was when Keisuke joined the Sano dojo a year back that he and I became really good friends and he ended up inviting me to his place so we could play together with his toys. Long black hair, sharp brown eyes, thin eyebrows, pointy canine teeth; she looked really pretty in my eyes (aside from my own mother and Mrs. Sano) and I was really amazed by her beauty.

And Keisuke got all those exact same physical features from his mother, even her hot-tempered attitude. In short, Keisuke was a mini version of his mother and it was really cute in my opinion. Upon our first meeting, I thought Ryoko was Keisuke's older sister or something like that just because she looked so young. Maybe she was one and had Keisuke at a very young age, who knows? Also, most of the time, she had this frown on her face which most likely indicated that she was always constantly worrying about her aggressive, angry son.

Ryoko was one of those cool moms who gave zero fuck to everything, like 'I don't give a fuck' sort of attitude. Single working parent who had a habit of smoking and always walked around like a boss with her head up high - that was Ryoko Baji to me and to everyone; a lady with a firm, explosive personality but underneath hid a very sensitive and caring person. 

"Did Keisuke get into fights again today, Nana-chan?" she asked narrowing her eyes at me with her arms crossed over her chest. 

I peeked to the side and saw Keisuke doing some weird hand gestures, telling me to lie to his mother. 

"Keisuke's been a good boy at school today, Ryoko-san..." I replied, looking back at her with a convincing smile. 

Even though he kicked asses of some punks on the way back home earlier today... 

"Is that so, huh?" she hummed before a small smile appeared on her face. "Well, that's good then. Thank you for always taking care of that useless son of mine, Nana-chan." 

"It's not a big deal, Ryoko-san." I chuckled in response. 

"Mom! Why do we have only one packet of peyoung yakisoba here?!" Keisuke suddenly yelled out from the kitchen before he started to head towards the front door. "I'll quickly go and buy some yakisoba from the nearby store!" 

"Oh, no you don't, mister!" Ryoko yelled back, kicking him to get inside the house again. "Nana-chan's here to tutor you, not to eat yakisoba! Don't waste her precious time, you son of a bitch! Get your ass to your room right now! And also, no yakisoba for you today cause I'm cooking dinner tonight!"

"Ouch! Stop kicking me, woman!" Keisuke yelled out again while I simply stared at the mother-son duo in amusement. 

Did Ryoko-san just call herself a bitch?? Wow... 

Soon after that, Keisuke and I settled down in his bedroom and we began to study, or more like I began to tutor him. When it came to studying, locations didn’t really matter to Keisuke, but somewhere quiet, with no “annoying punks” around always was the best way to get him to concentrate on his school stuff. To my own surprise, his school stuff was actually really organized - colorful folders for every subject, important documents in clear film, and so on, but unfortunately, he had zero motivation. When he would stray from his schoolbooks, I had to either kick his ass or smack him on the head to bring back his concentration, but once he would get into that “Learning Headspace”, things would go upwards from there.

Keisuke would even tie his hair up into a ponytail and put on those stupid glasses because he considered his study sessions with me a serious matter. I had to go through the entire school curriculum with him and since I already completed my second year in middle school last year, it was easy to teach him what he didn't know. However, the hardest part of the whole process was actually having him understand the content I was teaching him. Like he had trouble remembering kanji words in Japanese or events and key figures in Japanese history or phrases in English or understanding the formulae and methods of mathematics and the list goes on. 

"What? Takemichi?" Keisuke asked as he looked up from his book and locked his gaze on me, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah. That guy's name is Takemichi Hanagaki." I responded back with a smile. "He's weak at fighting, but the way he faced Kiyomasa... For some reason, he reminds me of Shin-chan... Manjiro took a liking to him. He's probably thinking about recruiting that guy in Toman." 

Keisuke immediately went quiet for a moment before furrowing his eyebrows at me. 

"So, now what? You started liking this twerp or something?" he grumbled out, sounding a bit irritated. 

"Huh? What? No!" I replied, frowning back at him. "Of course not, you idiot! What are you even talking about? Takemichi might remind me of Shin-chan in a way, but he isn't my type at all. Also, I just met him today. He's a total stranger to me. I don't fall in love with strangers." 

Hearing my answer, Keisuke now looked visibly relaxed. 

What's wrong with him? He never behaves like this...

"So, what's your type?" he asked, leaning towards the side. 

"My type?" I asked back and he nodded his head at me. "Well... someone who knows me well, someone who will accept me the way I am, someone who's loyal, honest, and respectful... I don't care about the looks, to be honest as long as the guy is nice and has a good heart." 

"Is that so, huh..." he trailed off in a whispered tone as he momentarily looked away from me and stared off to space, getting lost in his thoughts. 

What is he thinking now? This boy... so unpredictable...

"Okay, that's enough. Breaks over." I spoke up with a sigh causing Keisuke to snap out of his thoughts. "Let's play a game." 

"We finished studying already?" he asked in confusion. 

"No, we're not. You see, I'm gonna give you 50 pop quiz questions. It's about everything we went through up until now. If you get half of them correct, like 25 questions, I'll take you to a yakisoba dinner tomorrow... And if you get all of them correct, then I'll-" 

"Then can I get a kiss from you?" 

"I'll slap you, Keisuke." 

August 3rd, 2005 

That day after breaking and shattering almost everything Takemichi owned followed by the yellow-haired boy's sudden outburst with a piece of turd on his head, Manjiro and Draken finally decided to make up and things went back to normal like how they used to be. As long as those two weren't fighting each other and creating chaos, I didn't need to worry about anything anymore, for now at least. So I went back to my usual relaxed mood again, releasing myself from all headaches, burdens, and panics.

Then two days later after the incident at Takemichi's place, Keisuke called up and asked me if I wanted to go to the festival this year which was going to be held at the Musashi Shrine on August 3rd. I accepted his offer, thinking that it would be a great way to relax and treat myself to food and stuff while having a better chance to spend some quality time with my best friend named Keisuke Baji. 

Tonight was August 3rd, meaning the night of the Musashi Festival. Several food stands and game stands were whelming the area of the Musashi Shrine. The place was lighted up by numerous lanterns and decorations that emphasized the festival and the traditions. Walking down the path while pushing through the crowd, Keisuke and I were in our normal casual clothes (our usual denim shirts and black jeans with black combat boots) as we didn't even bother to wear yukatas on this occasion for various reasons. Like Keisuke came up with like - "What if we've to fight some punks on the street tonight? We can't do that if we're wearing a yukata now, can we?" He had a fair point though. Being a part of a delinquent gang meant we were constantly surrounded by punks, constantly fighting random gangs and shit. How exhausting. 

"What's Mikey doing tonight? Is he coming to the festival later on?" Keisuke asked as we walked together side by side, holding hands with fingers intertwined. 

"Don't know." I shrugged. "Manjiro suddenly got an urgent phone call from some Toman members this evening, saying that they wanted to meet him somewhere near the Shibuya station." 

"That's strange..." Keisuke muttered out, furrowing his eyebrows a bit as we walked down the narrow pathway. "What's so urgent that they have to call him up like that?" 

"I know right? Doesn't make any sense at all." I responded back, slightly frowning as well. 

To this day, I could still remember how I used to come to this festival every year with Shinichiro, Manjiro, Emma and Keisuke. Shinichiro used to take us to different food stands and buy us whatever we felt like eating. Playing games and buying souvenirs were things we all enjoyed doing but watching fireworks together at the end of the festival was a must. There was no way we could miss out on the chance of watching fireworks together - that was what we used to say back then. We even had our own special spot around the Musashi Shrine where the five of us would sit down on the grass and enjoy the firework show together. But everything suddenly changed after Shinichiro passed away. I really missed those days, really.

Then all of a sudden, a familiar voice spoke up from behind us. 

"Nana? Baji?" 

We immediately halted in our spots and turned around to look - it was Emma, Draken, Takemichi, and Hinata standing behind us with confused looks on their faces. The girls were wearing cute yukatas which suited them very well while the boys were in their normal casual clothes just like me and Keisuke. 

“Nana! You came!” Emma smiled brightly and walked up to hug me, but the hug wasn’t very comfortable as Keisuke refused to let go of our intertwined hands. "I thought you wanted to stay at home tonight." 

"Keisuke asked me to come, so I came here with him." I smiled back with a nonchalant shrug. 

“Look what the cat dragged in...” Draken stated with a smirk, looking down at Keisuke’s unbuttoned shirt. “Nice tits, Baji.” 

"One more word out of your mouth and I'm murdering you right here and now, Draken." Keisuke snarled out and I nudged him to the side to calm him down since Takemichi and Hinata were also there. 

"Be nice now, Keisuke..." I stated in a soft tone before looking back at Takemichi and Hinata with a smile. "Takemichi, Hinata. Hey there!" 

"Hello, Nana-chan!" Hinata greeted me happily as she and her boyfriend came closer to us. 

"Nana-chan, who's that?" Takemichi asked in confusion, feeling intimidated by Keisuke. 

"Oh, this is Keisuke Baji, Toman's 1st Division Captain. The biggest edgelord in the entirety of Shibuya..." I introduced them to Keisuke causing the said boy to twitch his eyebrows when I called him 'Shibuya's Edgelord'. "Manjiro and I've been friends with Keisuke ever since we were four years old. He's our oldest childhood best friend." 

"Toman's 1st Division Captain?!" Takemichi gasped out in shock, his eyes widening open. 

"You're that twerp from the other day." Keisuke scoffed, frowning down at the yellow-haired boy. "Takemichi Hanagaki, right?" 

"Y-Yes! Nice to meet you, Baji-kun!" Takemichi squeaked out in fear, almost comical in a sense. 

"Keisuke, stop scaring the poor guy." I scolded, causing Keisuke to pout at me before I looked back at Takemichi with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Takemichi. Keisuke looks scary, but he's a nice guy. He means no harm." 

"Anyway, where's Mikey?" Draken asked, looking around.

"He's not here..." Keisuke replied before draping an arm around my shoulders. "Got some urgent call or shit." 

"Huh? Really? I thought he would definitely be here given that Nana's here too. You know how clingy he is to her." Emma pointed out with a sly smirk but I ignored her remark while Keisuke scoffed in response. 

"Whatever. We're leaving. Let's go, Nana." Keisuke stated with his arm still draped around my shoulder before he started to pull me away from those other four. 

"Lead the way, my beloved arsonist." I joked with a cheeky smirk causing Keisuke's cheeks to turn hot red in color. 

“I have more to my personality than burning cars, Nana.” He grumbled, dropping his arm off my shoulder and grabbing my hand again, intertwining our fingers. 

“I know. I’m just teasing you.” I chuckled out at his bashfulness.

“Whatever.” Keisuke dismissed me, before leading me away.

“See ya later, guys!" I shouted out to my friends. 

Saying farewell to my friends, I walked away with Keisuke hand in hand through the crowd of the festival. Back then, as little kids, Keisuke and I used to come to this festival together every year with the Sano siblings, and I could still remember how Keisuke and Manjiro used to hold my hands on each side and walk down the path of the festival. They were so stubborn that neither of them ever wanted to let go of my hands. Holding Keisuke's hand at this moment was reminding me of those days.

During the Musashi Shrine festival, vendors would set up all around the shrine grounds and sometimes the surrounding vicinity. They sold traditional snacks, from baked sweet potatoes and takoyaki to newer additions, such as chocolate-dipped bananas, candy apples, and character lollipops. Traditional festival games were interspersed among the snack vendors. An example of this was goldfish scooping. The game master would provide a delicate paper ‘net’ to scoop the goldfish into a bowl. Once the net would break, the player's turn would be over. The player would get to keep any goldfish they caught. An unusual variation in this game was played with mini turtles. Other carnival-style games like ring toss and target practice could be found here at this festival as well. Small trinkets, stuffed toys, and other souvenirs could be bought at Musashi Festival. Many were edible, while the toys, masks, and other goods often appealed to young children. They would also include stuffed toys of popular cartoon characters and plastic masks depicting animal faces. 

"Okay, general knowledge time..." I spoke up and Keisuke looked over at me with curiosity. "Do you know what this Musashi Shrine is known for?" 

"This Musashi Shrine...?" the ravenette boy trailed for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I've no clue." 

"This shrine is locally known for being the site of what are claimed to be the graves of Hirata Muni, his wife Omasa, and most controversially, the grave of Miyamoto Musashi himself. Miyamoto Musashi also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer, and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 61 duels. Musashi, as he was often simply known, is considered a Kensei, a sword-saint of Japan. He was the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryū, or Nito Ichi-ryū, style of swordsmanship, and in his final years authored The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) and Dokkōdō (The Path of Aloneness)." I informed him causing the boy to give me a look of amazement. 

"And that's why I love having you as my tutor. You're just too smart." he grinned and I giggled out in response before looking up at the sky above us. 

"This year... I don't want to miss the firework show, Keisuke." I stated as we sat closer to one another on a bench somewhere quiet (a more secluded part of the festival grounds) eating takoyaki and candy apples together. 

"You really love the fireworks, huh?" Keisuke asked with a grin and I giggled out in response. 

"I always wanted to draw rainbows in the dark, hold pencils of pure light, I guess that's why I love fireworks so. The fireworks are chaos and predictability - their explosive gifts finding their own time and space to own. As they do, I am the spectator, seeing their blazing trails arc above. There's something about them that warms me even in the cold as if their stray sparks passed into my blood. Arcing fireworks light the sky as rainbows of starlight." I stated in a soft tone causing Keisuke to give me a look of amusement. 

"You can be so poetic sometimes, Nana. Seriously though..." Keisuke responded back, chuckling out as well. 

As I sat there beside Keisuke looking at him, I suddenly started to realize how beautiful he actually was. The silvery-platinum moonlight fell on him and illuminated his every feature, making him look absolutely ethereal. Long black hair - smooth, silky, and wavy; sharp brown eyes; sharp teeth; sharp jawline and cheekbones; skin like milky yet manly rough; eyebrows sharp yet thick; tall stature with a perfect muscular body for a middle schooler - Keisuke Baji was a total hunk among the many.

After Shinichiro Sano, if I did find any other man physically attractive or found myself getting attracted to someone other than Shinichiro, that was Keisuke Baji. I always knew from the start that I was somewhat attracted to Keisuke one way or another, but my love for Shinichiro was so deep and passionate that it blinded me from realizing my feelings for Keisuke. 

I always believed a man's beauty starts from his hearty, loving soul and radiates from there to create his final form; and men like Shinichiro and Keisuke were the perfect examples of that. Loyal, trustworthy, honest, respectful, kind, generous, compassionate, and a heart of gold - those were the words I could associate Shinichiro and Keisuke with. Sure Keisuke was violent and pretty much brainless while Shinichiro was weak and a crybaby, but I couldn't overlook the fact that they were the type of men who were perfect for almost every type of woman out there after analyzing their beauty and personality. 

"Take a picture. It'll last long." 

I immediately snapped out of my thoughts when Keisuke's words reached my ears. I then noticed the boy smirking at me mischievously, his left-top canine tooth poking out from in between his lips. 

"Why would I take your picture?" I scoffed, looking away from him a small blush on my cheeks. "You're ugly." 

"Ouch. Now you're hurting my feelings, Nana." Keisuke joked as he put a hand on the left side of his chest and I smacked him playfully on his arm. 

"Shut up." I huffed with a pout, causing him to let out another light chuckle. 

His voice was so deep and velvety, it sounded really tantalizing to hear. 

"We'll be able to see the firework show from here. I think it's a perfect spot for the view." Keisuke pointed out and I looked around at the area. 

"Yeah, you're right." I hummed in agreement. 

"I'm the one who found the spot here. I'm a genius, ain't I? You should thank me for this." He smirked at me cockily. 

"That's not happening." I scoffed and he threw a playful glare at me. 

"You ungrateful woman. You're lucky that I love you." he scoffed, rolling his eyes and I stuck out my tongue at him teasingly. 

"And that's your fatal flaw." I joked sassily as if the words I just said were the biggest secret this universe could offer him while staring up at the full moon night sky. "Your love for me might kill you someday." 

Then suddenly silence fell between the two of us for a moment and this caused me to start to panic from the inside. 

Why did he go quiet? Why isn't he responding? Did I screw up something? Did I say something I shouldn't have? 

When I looked back at him again, I noticed he was already staring at me with a soft look in his gaze - so loving and soft it started to make me all warm and fuzzy inside. Taking the advantage of me losing myself in a daze, Keisuke scooted closer to me, arms touching, shoulders brushing, as he gently grabbed my hand that was on my lap and intertwined our fingers. 

"To me, that's a beautiful flaw..." he whispered out, leaning closer to my face, his sharp eyes darkened and his thumb gently brushed the knuckles of my hand that was intertwining his. "I don't mind dying for you." 

And my eyes immediately widened at his words and without knowing myself, I tightened my grip on our intertwined hands. Worry and panic slightly started to display in my eyes as I looked into his eyes in desperation. 

"Don't you ever dare die on me, Keisuke..." I whispered back and his gaze softened even more. "I already lost Shinichiro. I don't wanna lose you too."

I could feel the heat and warmth radiating from Keisuke's body as he leaned closer and pressed his forehead against mine, his warm sweet breath caressing my face and lips. He smelled very nice, a mix of mint and sandalwood. Keisuke gently pushed a few strands of my raven locks behind my right ear and cupped my right cheek with his left hand, brushing my skin with his thumb, innocently yet teasingly while the look in his eyes was hot, fiery, and passionate. The way our skin touched, the way we invaded each other's personal spaces and boundaries, I didn't mind or feel uncomfortable with him being this close to me at this very moment, and neither did he. We never did and we never would.

"Sorry for scaring you... I won't say that again, Nana..." he whispered again and our noses touched, slightly. "I won't ever leave you alone. Ever. I promised you that day, remember? I'm here, always. By your side." 

Keisuke Baji was an unpredictable man. For me, who was good at reading people just by observing their behavior, there were times I couldn't tell what was actually going through Keisuke's mind. This man was so wild and loved the thrill of adrenaline so much to the point that he would punch someone out on the street for no apparent reason, only because he felt like it, or would burn down a car simply because he was hungry. His erratic behavior always confused me to no end and I always had to figure him out, always had to learn something new about him which was frustrating and fun at the same time. Like that one time when I was tutoring him, he asked me for a kiss as a reward. I still couldn't tell if he was being serious or he was simply just joking. Like right now the way he was touching me was so loving and passionate yet so playful and teasing.

Keisuke and Manjiro had always been touchy and clingy towards me ever since we were little kids; Keisuke lesser than Manjiro but it was still the same. As kids, their touches were friendly and innocent but it all slowly started to change once we entered middle school. While Manjiro's touches were possessive and demanding yet somewhat child-like, Keisuke's ones felt more different, more like the way one would touch their lover, not their mere childhood friend. I wasn't sure if I was being paranoid or was overthinking it, but that was how I always felt under Keisuke's touches; unsatisfied and breathless. I wanted more. I craved more. And I knew if this kept going on like this between me and Keisuke, I definitely would go crazy one day. Keisuke Baji would be the death of me someday.  

Hearing his soothing deep voice eased my heart and soul before I closed my eyes and nuzzled against his hand which was still holding my face ever so lovingly and gently. 

"Hey, Keisuke, listen... I want to tell you something-" 

I was suddenly out off when a cell phone started to ring; it was Keisuke's. We then quickly pulled away from each other before the ravenette boy answered his phone. I noticed his face went from calm to serious and then to furious. Furrowing his eyebrows deep, his eyes sharpened and his jaw tightened. 

"Yeah, okay... I'll go and get the rest of the crew right now. Don't worry about it..." he stated and hung up the call. 

"What happened?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows as well. 

"Mitsuya called. It's Peh." He replied, looking back at me with all seriousness. "That bastard snitched."

24th October 2005

After that whole chaos that went down this evening, I called a certain someone to meet up with me in the neighborhood park which was located in the same area I lived in, the same place where Manjiro, Keisuke, Emma and I used to play together back when we all were just little kids. Life was so simple back then. No gang, no fighting, no shit – just me and my friends hanging out together, goofing around. If only I could bring those days back.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Nana…”

As I was sitting on one of the benches at the park, I turned my head around and looked over to my side to face the person who standing there just a few feet away from me - black shirt with black jeans and boots while the cool breeze of late October blew by making his long, wavy black hair gently sway in the air; the man was looking as beautiful and exquisite as always in my eyes. 

“You went too far, Keisuke. Did you really need to punch Takemichi like that on the face though? That poor guy…” I stated with a pout, crossing my arms over my chest.

In response, Keisuke let out an airy chuckle in a sheepish manner before taking a seat beside me on the bench. I moved a bit closer to him as soon as he sat down until our arms were touching, our shoulders were brushing one another.

“Well, in order to convince them, I needed to keep up with the bad guy appearance, you know...” Keisuke replied and I scoffed in response. 

Keisuke Baji, as always, sought violence, even if he didn't mean actual harm. I doubted that man was ever going to change in life. 

“But still though… I think you went a bit far with it. Apologize to Takemichi the next time you’re seeing him.” I stated and this caused Keisuke to furrow his eyebrows in seriousness.

“I don’t think there’s gonna be a next time, Nana.” He responded back in a firm tone, causing me to give him a confused look.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to Toman after what I just did today…” he added.

“Do you seriously think that Manjiro and the others are gonna abandon you just like that for such a trivial thing?” I asked, almost deadpanning at him. “You’re their friend, Keisuke. You’re like a brother to them, like a family. Each and every one of them loves you to death. Do you realize how hurt they were when you said that you were leaving Toman for Valhalla? Even though they didn’t show it on their faces, I know how it broke their hearts when you left the gang and walked away from them. Especially Manjiro. That poor guy is getting more and more desperate with the passage of every second just to bring you back to the gang.”

“But Nana, I need to do this for the gang too.” Keisuke countered back.

“What are you talking about? I mean once we’re successful in kicking out Kisaki from the group, you can easily return back to Toman, Keisuke.”

“I’m not only doing this just to kick out Kisaki from Toman. I’m also doing this for some other reasons…”

“Like what?”

“Kazutora…”

Silence fell between the two of us when Keisuke said that name - Kazutora Hanemiya, the man who murdered the love of my life, Shinichiro Sano.

“Huh? Kazutora? What does this anything have to do with Kazutora anyway?” I asked, getting even more confused.

“I got a letter from Kazutora almost a month ago… He got out of juvie not so long ago...” Keisuke replied and my eyes went wide open in realization.

That’s right. Kazutora went to juvie for killing Shinichiro back in August 2003 and for the act of murder he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment. And right now, it was October 2005, meaning he was already out of juvie by now.

“I met up with Kazutora after leaving Toman’s meeting this evening. He has joined Valhalla as well…” Keisuke added.

“Kazutora joined a gang as soon as he came out of juvie? Just what in the world… Just why?” I questioned again and this time, Keisuke took a moment to respond back.

“To kill Mikey…” he stated in a low yet firm tone and I let out a small gasp in shock.

“Kill Manjiro? What do you mean kill Manjiro? Is this some kind of a joke now?” I barked out in annoyance.

“After killing Shinichiro-kun, Kazutora had this mental breakdown and he started to put all the blames on Mikey. Because of Mikey, he went to steal that motorbike and ended up killing Shinichiro-kun. Because of Mikey, he went to juvie and wasted two years of his life there… This is how he’s trying to cope with the fact that he murdered a person at the age of 13, no less Shinichiro-kun, Mikey’s brother…”

“Without taking the blame onto himself for murdering Shin-chan which he actually did and that’s the fact, he’s blaming Manjiro for everything that happened? I mean, what the fuck is he on right now? Was he doing drugs or shit for the past two years while being locked up in juvie? Does he really think he'll be able to kill the Invincible Manjiro Sano?" 

"I don't know, Nana. I don't know what Kazutora is capable of right now. So to protect Toman from Kisaki and Mikey from Kazutora, I need to join Valhalla. I need to stick around with Kazutora as long as possible because I promised him my support to the very end... 'I'd never kill Mikey's brother. I did this for Mikey's sake. This is all Mikey's fault. So I need to kill Mikey'... I remember that night, Kazutora kept on repeating those words over and over again after he realized that the person he killed was Shinichiro-kun. And without giving much thought to it, I ended up promising my support to him for eternity... And that's why I need to stay with Kazutora in order to fulfill my promise and to keep him away from Mikey." 

So he's doing all this shit for Manjiro and Kazutora...? Why is he so damn selfless?

"But what about me though, Keisuke? What about your promise to me? You said you'll stay by my side till your last breath... You're breaking that promise now, Keisuke, as if I don't matter to you anymore..." 

Keisuke's eyes widened a bit upon hearing my words before they softened a bit at the sight of me. Without saying another word, he immediately wrapped his arms around my petite form and brought me into a warm embrace, pressing me into his muscular chest. 

"I'd never break our promise, Nana and you know it..." he whispered into my ears, his hot minty breath sending a shiver down my spine. 

"But you are breaking your promise, Keisuke." I whimpered out in desperation, hugging him back with my dear life while resting my face in the crook of his neck, the scent of his cologne invading every five senses of mine. "Please don't leave me, Keisuke... Please don't... I need you..." 

"I think you need Mikey more than me." he chucked out in a dejected tone. 

"Who said I need Manjiro more than you?" I scoffed. 

"I just know, okay? I know you'll choose Mikey over me in a heartbeat-" 

I immediately cut him off by moving my face away from the crook of his neck and held his face in my hands, making him look into my eyes. I held his face so close to mine that our noses almost touched one another. Taking in his beauty under the silvery brilliance of the full moon in the sky, I began to wonder when Keisuke became as precious as Shinichiro to me. Before Keisuke came into my life, it was just and only me and Manjiro and no one else. Then it became the three of us, but when that whole Haruchiyo incident happened, I created a distance between myself and Manjiro out of fear and disappointment. Then it somewhat became just me and Keisuke and it had been like that ever since then.

During the time of my fallout with Manjiro that happened after he attacked Haruchiyo, Keisuke took Manjiro's place in my life and wiggled his way into my tiny heart, making himself at home there. Even I didn't know myself when Keisuke Baji became so dear to me. Back then I would've burned the whole world down just to protect Manjiro from any sort of malice. Manjiro was everything to me and I was everything to Manjiro. But it was years ago. Time passed, things changed along with feelings, people moved on.

The fact was - my first love was Shinichiro Sano and he would always and forever have a special place in my heart, it was something that was never going to change, ever. But also at the same time, it didn't take away the fact that I was falling in love again, that I was in love with someone else who wasn't Shinichiro Sano. Things were different now. Situations around me changed along with my feelings. I had already accepted the fact that Shinichiro was gone for good and he was never coming back, that I had to move on with my life without him, that my childhood best friend, Keisuke Baji had already replaced Shinichiro in my heart. To me, my love for Keisuke was a quiet emotion that in time became part of the oxygen I needed to breathe, and so though I might feel not sure that it was there, any form of removal and the emotions would begin to choke the life out of me. 

Only if Keisuke knew how wrong he was.

"You're so wrong, Keisuke..." I spoke up in a firm yet soft tone, frowning down at him while Keisuke looked at me with surprise, almost shock in his eyes. "Do you remember that one line I once told you years back when we were kids...?" 

Keisuke's eyes softened once again upon hearing my question, his arms tightened even more around my waist as he leaned closer to me. 

"I remember that, Nana... You and I are the fireworks in this velvet dark, the blaze that dares to light up the night... You told me that once when I lost to Mikey in a fight back then. You said you'll always have my back and that you believe in me..." Keisuke muttered out with his lips curling up into a small delicate smile. 

His response made me let out an airy sigh of relief and contentment before I gently pressed my forehead against his and this action made both of us close our eyes at once as we continued to bask in each other's warmth and embrace. To me, Keisuke was like my personal drug. One touch from him and the intoxication was instant as if everything was over; it was always that way with me ever since Shinichiro passed away and Keisuke became a constant figure in my life in Shinichiro's place. 

Whenever we touched one another, I could always feel electricity in my skin, hormones shutting down my higher brain. From there on in it was all passion, intense, intoxicating. Keisuke became my release, my escape, my drug. Not that I was easy, I knew well enough to avoid letting a man lay his hands on me. Yet with my chemistry with Keisuke, too many of my switches were flicked for a reverse gear to be possible. In short, I was simply smitten with Keisuke Baji to the point where all I could do was go along for the ride and pray my instincts were right. 

"Just because I knew Manjiro ever since we were babies, just because I knew Manjiro longer than I had known you, doesn't mean I'll choose him over you. Let's get one thing straight. If it ever came down to you and Manjiro, I would gladly let go of him, Keisuke. I will always choose you..." 

October 30th, 2005, 8:00 PM

"So, Chifuyu and Takemichi came to talk to you this morning, huh?" I asked the long-haired ravenette boy who was sitting right beside me in front of Shinichiro's grave before he simply hummed in response. 

"Chifuyu's smart." Keisuke pointed out in a serious tone. "I knew something like this was gonna happen." 

"Chifuyu's not smart, he's just perceptive. If he's smart, then I'm Albert Einstein." I countered back with a small smirk and Keisuke rolled his eyes at me in a playful manner. 

Ever since Keisuke left Toman and joined Valhalla, it got difficult for me to keep in contact with him, especially talking to him in person because wherever he went he was either accompanied by Kazutora or Hanma or maybe even both of them. The only way was left to talk to Keisuke face-to-face was at school but otherwise, it was either late-night phone calls or text messages. So it was a relief for me that I was able to speak to him in open like this without anyone noticing or spying on us. On top of that, we were at the cemetery in the nighttime, so the darkness of the night played a huge role in hiding us from the naked eyes of humans. 

"But you're right though... Chifuyu, Takemichi, and I went to meet Osanai at his workplace to do some digging on Kisaki." I added. 

"What did you find?" Keisuke asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit and that's when I started to spill everything to him. 

"Kisaki was the one who put Osanai in the power and using Osanai, he started to instigate everything from behind the curtains. Kisaki was the one who sent his men to beat up Pah's friends and that led Pah to the edge. He used Peh for the conflict on August 3rd and he manipulated Kiyomasa to kill Ken-chan. After that, he approached Manjiro and got to his good side by bashing Osanai, saying that it was all Osanai's fault. And then in the next part, you already know what happened. Kisaki offered a deal to Manjiro regarding Pah and in exchange, he wanted the position of the 3rd Division captain." I went on while Keisuke simply stared at me with wide eyes in shock. 

"Kisaki did all of that...?" he trailed off and I nodded my head at him in response. 

"Not just that... Kisaki's new partner in crime is Shuji Hanma... Chifuyu and I assume that Kisaki is the one who's leading Valhalla." I added, leaving Keisuke even more shocked. "I mean think about it, Keisuke... No one knows who the Commander of Valhalla is. Hanma is the Vice-Commander and he's working with Kisaki. After everything Kisaki has done up until now, I won't be surprised if he turns out to be the leader of Valhalla as well..." 

"You're not wrong though..." Keisuke muttered out, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. 

After that, for a moment a comfortable silence fell between the two of us before I spoke up again. 

"You know, Manjiro assigned Takemichi to bring you back to Toman..." I mumbled out and this caused Keisuke to raise an eyebrow at me. "Did Takemichi say anything to you today?" 

"Now that I think about it... that twerp did say something really weird..." he trailed off in a daze and I gave him a confused look. "He said - Please make it through tomorrow alive. Please don't die. Because Nana-chan and Mikey-kun will be really sad... something like that." 

First Ken-chan and now Keisuke... that's weird...

Why does it feel like Takemichi always knows that something bad is going to happen to one of us... 

Like at first, he was against the whole idea of going into a conflict with Moebius... 

I remember Takemichi acting really strange when I asked him why we can't fight them... 

Then he was hellbound to keep Ken-chan protected from Kiyomasa during the August 3rd fight... 

And now he's saying this to Keisuke... as if he knows that something bad's gonna happen to Keisuke tomorrow... 

If that's what it is, then I'll definitely keep an extra eye on Keisuke tomorrow... just in case nothing bad happens to him... 

"So what's your plan tomorrow?" I asked and Keisuke looked over at me again. 

"Kill Kisaki." he replied in a firm tone. 

"You can't be serious now." I stated, raising an eyebrow. 

"I am serious, Nana." he huffed and I rolled my eyes at him. 

"You'll go to jail if you literally kill Kisaki, you moron. And this will make Ryoko-san cry again." I pointed out before noticing how Keisuke's eyes softened at the sight of me. 

"And you'll not?" he asked and I gave him a confused look. "You'll not cry for me if I go to jail?" 

"No. Why would I cry for you? My tears are too precious to get wasted like that." I responded back sassily, causing Keisuke to let out an amused chuckle before he leaned to my side and rested his head on my shoulder. 

"And here I thought you'll shade your tears for me, even if it's just a single drop." he sighed in a dramatic way, slightly shaking his head and my eyes immediately softened at his words. 

I can burn down the whole world for you, Keisuke... 

You're just that precious to me... 

Even I don't know myself what I'll do if something bad happens to you... 

So tomorrow Keisuke... better not die on me, my beloved arsonist... 

30th November 2005

“Now Valhalla is linked with Toman and fucking Hanma's joined the gang..." I muttered, letting out a heavy sigh in frustration. 

Right now, Keisuke and I were sitting by the Musashi shrine while having our very own little picnic with peyoung yakisoba noodles. After the whole meeting that went down back on 15th November, where Keisuke was appointed as my new personal assistant and bodyguard, he and I had been hanging out and spending a lot of time together lately. Although it wasn't anything different from what we always used to do before. Also on top of that, it was a good thing that we were together and I had no complaints about it. I mean in this way, I was able to look after Keisuke from dawn to dusk while making sure that either Kisaki or Hanma didn't come and cause harm to him. 

"After everything we tried to do…” Keisuke growled out, slamming his fist against the dirt ground. "It's not going well. Kisaki is going to take over Toman at this point. After the last ceremony, I tried telling Mikey again, but Kisaki somehow still managed to do this... If we don’t do something soon, there's gonna be real trouble."

Keisuke then laid his head against my shoulder as he relaxed under the rays of the afternoon sun.

“Damn that Kisaki...” he muttered out and all I could do was just pat his back and make sure he didn't get too angry.

"We did pick out some evidence about Kisaki from the outside, but pulling Osanai into this mess won't be the right thing to do..." I added. 

"I know right? Also, the sneaky bastard hides his tracks too well. It's crazy.” Keisuke stated while I let out another sigh and stretched out my arms causing Keisuke's head to fall gently onto my lap.

Instead of grunting about the sudden change of position, Keisuke just exhaled out a breath of satisfaction and closed his eyes.

“Are things going okay with you and the others?” I asked while I began to softly run my hand through his long, luscious raven locks. 

"Just normal stuff…" Keisuke trailed off before opening his eyes again, his gaze staring off at the horizon. "Everything's gone back to normal, so I’m glad that nothing has changed because of the fight. I wonder though, what's going to happen next?” 

I was about to say something back when suddenly my cell phone started to ring. I pulled out the device to see who it was. It was Hinata. 

"Hello, Hinata?" I answered the call.

“Nana-chan! Takemichi-kun is in trouble! What do I do?!” Hinata cried out from the other side of the call. 

"Huh? Takemichi's in trouble?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion while Keisuke sat up properly and leaned closer to my phone. “Hinata, what's going on exactly? Where are you?” 

"We... I don't know where we are, but we met some new friends… Shiba-kun and Yuzuha-chan-" 

Wait... Hakkai and Yuzuha...? The Shiba siblings? What's going on?

"...the Black Dragons!! Takemichi-kun is getting beat up by Taiju-kun!" 

"Wait, you guys are with Hakkai and Yuzuha?" I asked and Keisuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

"We were hanging out with Shiba-kun, and Yuzuha-chan, and then we encountered the Black Dragons gang and they said we're on their turf. Takemichi-kun is getting hurt! He's going to die!” 

"The Black Dragons's turf?" I asked before looking back at Keisuke. "Keisuke, do you know where their turf is?" 

"It's the same area where Hakkai lives..." Keisuke replied before pulling out his own cell phone with a scowling face. "Did Hinata say ‘Black Dragons’? What did Takemitchy get himself into this time? Geez… Let me call Mikey and inform him about this real quick."

"…T-Taiju-kun just let Takemichi-kun go. Nana-chan, I’ll call you back!” 

And with that Hinata hung up the call. 

"She said Taiju let Takemichi go. Now they're taking him back home." I informed and Keisuke nodded his head at him in response. 

"Okay, let's go, Nana." 

Later that evening Keisuke and I went over to the Hanagaki residence to visit Takemichi and when we reached there we found Chifuyu and Takemichi's old friends in his bedroom chilling around with Takemichi still laying on the bed, sleeping, all bruised up. 

"He looks awful..." I commented in concern as my eyes softened at the sight of Takemichi. 

"Tell me about it..." Yamagishi stated before he and his other three friends went back to play cards on the floor. 

"What happened, Chifuyu?" Keisuke asked as he took a seat on a chair beside the said boy while I sat on the end of the bed where Takemichi was sleeping. 

"This afternoon Takemichi and Hina went out for a bowling date and met the Shiba siblings there. The Shiba siblings then invited them over to their place but weren't aware that Taiju came back home just at that time, and the rest you know what happened..." Chifuyu informed while holding a manga in his hand that he was reading earlier. 

Then just at that moment, I noticed Takemichi waking up from his sleep before he sat up on his bed and by the looks of it, it seemed like he didn't notice any one of us present in his bedroom. He looked like he was in a deep trance and was mumbling to himself. 

"I’m the only one who can do this… can't depend on anyone else… gotta do it alone…" he went on. 

Seeing this I reached my hand out at him and flicked hard his forehead, waking him up from his trance. 

"Ouch!" Takemichi groaned, rubbing his forehead where I hit him. 

"Takemichi, wake up..." I called.

"What are you mumbling about?" Akkun asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. 

"Creepy-mitchy!" Yamagishi commented with a scowling face while Makoto and Takuya stared at the yellow-haired boy with a deadpanned look.

"Huh? N-Nana-chan... You guys… what are you doing at my place?!" Takemichi gasped out in surprise. 

"We came to check on you, what else?!" Yamagishi snapped back. 

"You're captain, man. Grow some self-awareness." Makoto added. 

"If you keep being reckless, we won’t be able to keep the 1st Division together." Takuya pointed out. 

"Huh? what do you mean we…? What?! Did you guys join Toman?!" Takemichi asked and this made me give him a confused look. 

What the hell is he even talking about...? Does he not remember anything he's been doing these days...? 

"Huh? Yeah, we did." Takuya replied. 

"You invited them in yourself, didn’t you?" Chifuyu finally spoke up. 

"Oi, Shitty-mitchy, are you trying to ruin my legacy as the former 1st Division Captain or something?" Keisuke asked with a scowling face and in a menacing tone, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's been only two weeks, and there you go, getting your ass kicked by that fucking Taiju Shiba. I didn't make you my successor so that you can get our ass kicked by other bastards every time. Grow some pride and self-respect in yourself, dammit. Learn how to fight back and if you can't do that, at least learn how to defend yourself." 

"B-Baji-kun... Chifuyu..." Takemichi stuttered out, finally noticing their presence before suddenly small tears started to form in his eyes. 

"Hm…? What's with the pause?" Chifuyu asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Are you okay, Takemichi?" I asked in concern but Takemichi shook his head at us. 

"It’s… it's nothing…" he trailed off before looking back at Keisuke. "Sorry, Baji-kun for being reckless. I'll be careful next time, I promise." 

"It can't be helped I guess..." Keisuke sighed before running his hand through his hair. "I can't completely blame you for this though..."

"Still to think the Black Dragons would shatter the balance…" Akkun chimed in. 

"Yeah. Things are gonna get rough." Yamagishi added. 

"The higher-ups are gonna get involved for sure." Makoto pointed out. 

"Takemichi is a captain in Toman now, a gang that grew to over 450 members after absorbing Valhalla. Him getting beaten up by the Black Dragons is more than enough to start a conflict." Takuya stated in a concerned tone.

"If we get into a fight with the Black Dragons, it’s not gonna be like anything we have dealt with before. These are the guys known for their active fighting faction, the killer squad. The Black Dragons have been the top delinquent gang in the Kanto region for generations. And the 10th Black Dragons are the most maniacal and evil one they have ever had." Keisuke informed, leaning back on his chair. 

"The most maniacal…"

"And evil…"

"That’s because of one reason alone. Their absolute ruler, Taiju Shiba. Toman and the Black Dragons have an unbreakable connection. Because the Black Dragons are the reason Toman was created at all. Two years ago, Kazutora clashed with the 9th Generation Black Dragons and Keisuke brought up the idea of forming Toman so we could help him. Then we fought the Black Dragons. We crushed the Black Dragons and Toman became a well-known gang overnight." I added. 

"Damn Toman!" Akkun cheered. 

"Then this next fight will be easy peasy!!" Yamagishi added with a grin.

"It’s not gonna be easy! Toman beat the 9th Black Dragons at that time which was led by Shion Madarame, one of the members of the S62 Generation. The Black Dragons should have faded out after we defeated them but the guy who revived them was Taiju Shiba. The Black Dragons changed under Taiju. He got their uniforms totally redone… Trained the members to act like an army and made them an impressive-looking gang." I stated. 

"He’s one awesome guy!" Yagamichi gasped. 

"But those new uniforms… Wouldn’t making those for every member caused a shit ton of money?" Makoto asked. 

"Yeah, it would. Where would he get that kind of cash…?" Takuya asked. 

"He’s not that much older than us right?" Akkun asked. 

"Yeah, just two years older than us. And a year older than Baji-san and Nana-san." Chifuyu replied. 

"Unlike other delinquents, Taiju sells his violence. Taiju is not your typical bruiser. He's got ties to the wealthy and makes money in exchange for his military force." Keisuke stated in a serious tone. 

"So that means he fights for money?" Yamagishi asked in concern, getting all scared now. 

"Scary. Must be one fucked up kid." Makoto commented. 

"It’s like he’s from another world!" Takuya added. 

"Anyway, the current Black Dragons are totally different from the 9th generation. If Toman fights them now…" Keisuke trailed off. 

"There’s gonna be casualties…" Akkun concluded with a concerned look on his face. 

Then suddenly Takemichi hopped out of his bed and stood on the ground. 

"You guys don’t have to fight!" he stated in a firm tone and furrowed eyebrows while we all gave him a confused look. 

"Huh?" we all asked. 

"This is between me and the Black Dragons. It’s got nothing to do with toman. I’ll settle this on my own…" he went on. 

"Wait, what?!"

"The hell are you saying?"

"On your own?" 

While Takemichi's friends went on asking him questions out of pure shock and concern, Keisuke and I looked over at each other and shared a knowing look. 

"Takemitchy..." Keisuke called out before standing up from his seat. "Come with us real quick. You too, Chifuyu." 

In response, Takemichi gave us a confused look but didn't say anything back. The four of us then left the Hanagaki household and drove away from the area by riding our motorbikes. I was riding with Keisuke on his Goki while Takemichi was with Chifuyu on the latter's motorbike. A while later, we reached a different neighborhood and parked our rides in the parking lot beside a ramen shop. 

"I'm starving right now, so let's get some peyoung yakisoba..." Keisuke stated as we all hopped down from the bikes.

"Baji-kun, I get it..." Takemichi stated out with a furrowing face, looking down at the ground while clenching his fists. "You're gonna tell me not to take on all this by myself, right? I know you wanna say my friends are here for me!! But…!" 

"I didn’t bring you out here to say that, you moron." Keisuke scoffed and smacked Takemichi on the back of the head before the latter gave him a confused look. "I didn’t leave Toman to you because I wanted to stress you out. So cheer the fuck up, Shitty-mitchy!" 

"Just have fun while you're at it, Takemichi..." I added with a warm smile. "Don't worry too much." 

"Besides, you've me now as your partner, so cheer up!" Chifuyu grinned widely at his new friend. 

"Baji-kun, Nana-chan, Chifuyu…" Takemichi trailed off in surprise with tears rolling down his cheeks. "I... I've something to tell you guys..." 

"Huh? What is it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"I-I came from the future…" he stated and the whole place went completely silent after hearing his words. 

Wait, what...?! What does he mean by 'came from the future'...? What is he talking about?

"Huh? What the hell do you mean? Came from the future?" Keisuke asked with furrowed eyebrows while we all looked at Takemichi in utter confusion. 

At that moment, Takemichi began to panic but somehow, someway he was able to speak up and started to tell us the entire truth. 

Apparently, the Takemichi standing right before us was a 26-year-old Takemichi who came from the future, back from 2017. One day after coming back from his work, someone deliberately pushed him into the train tracks and before he knew it, he was sent back 12 years into the past, back in his 2nd year of middle school days. Then he met Naoto (Hinata's younger brother) and shook his hand and was again sent back into the future. Takemichi later met up with the adult Naoto and together they started working together to save Hinata's life because according to Takemichi, 12 years into the future, Toman would become a huge but dangerous organization, committing all sorts of crimes from murder and fraud to prostitution and drugs and the list goes on and on. And the future Toman happened to be the one to kill Hinata in the first place. That's why to save Hinata's life, Takemichi was going back and forth between the past and the future to make changes in both timelines. It started from saving Draken's life and trying to stop the conflict between Toman and Moebius to saving Keisuke's life and stopping Manjiro from killing Kazutora during the battle of Bloody Halloween. Somehow Takemichi was able to complete all of his mission, but still, each and every time he failed to save Hinata and the rest of us simply because of Kisaki, as the adult Kisaki from the future was the one who kept on killing us each and every time. 

"And that’s everything I have done…" Takemichi trailed off. 

"So we are gonna get killed by Kisaki? We are gonna die…" I spoke up again, deep in thought. 

Now it all makes sense... the time when Takemichi tried to stop us from fighting Moebius... 

The time when he was getting desperate in saving Ken-chan's life... 

The time when he requested Keisuke not to die and stay alive... 

Takemichi always knew what was going to happen... He always knew...

"Just kidding! I was just joking around! Haha!" Takemichi began to chuckle out sheepishly, trying to ease the tension in the air. 

"Somehow we always knew…" Keisuke trailed off, causing Takemichi to give him a confused look.

"Thinking about it, there’s a lot that’s off about you. Also, there have been times when you have looked different. From our conflict with Moebius to our battle with Valhalla in Bloody Halloween... I noticed how desperate you looked each and every time. Whether it was about saving Ken-chan's life or saving Keisuke's life or stopping Manjiro from killing Kazutora, you always looked desperate... The first time I suspected you was when you tried to stop us from fighting Moebius because you knew Ken-chan might get killed. The second time I suspected you was when you requested Keisuke to stay safe and not die before the battle of Bloody Halloween. It was as if you always knew something's gonna happen, something bad's gonna happen..." I added.

"Well… I mean that’s…" Takemichi trailed off, looking away from us. 

"Before the fight with Valhalla, you told me, 'please don’t die, or else Nana-chan and Mikey-kun will be sad'…" Keisuke pointed out. 

"Yeah, even I heard that too… I wasn’t standing close enough, so I didn’t hear what you were talking about in detail. But I definitely heard that." Chifuyu chimed in. 

"You knew I was gonna die. That's why you were so desperate." Keisuke concluded. 

"Yeah, I knew and that’s why I tried to stop it. Even though Nana-chan got stabbed instead of Baji-kun in the end." Takemichi muttered in a sorrowful tone. 

"But hey, I lived, right? I didn’t die. So, don't worry about it anymore." I stated with a smile. 

"You're pretty incredible, Takemitchy." Chifuyu commented and Takemichi looked at him in surprise. "You have been fighting all alone, right? With nobody praising you or anything."

"Be proud of yourself, Takemitchy. The results don't matter." Keisuke stated in a firm tone, literally ordering the boy to cheer up. 

"Nobody’s watching but you stood and fought without running. We respect you, Takemichi." I added while gently ruffling his hair in an affectionate manner. 

"You guys really believe me? And all the stuff I say that sounds like total bullshit?" Takemichi asked in surprise with teary eyes. 

"Of course we do, dumbass! We’re friends now, aren’t we?" Keisuke scoffed before smacking Takemichi on the head again. "As much as it sounds or looks crazy from our point of view, we still believe you after everything you've done for us." 

And this brought tears to Takemichi's eyes again out of sheer joy and relief. 

"Damn it!! Quit making me cry, Baji-kun!!" He cried again and I giggled at him in amusement. 

"Haha! You’ve got giant tear glands!" Chifuyu teased him. 

"Shut up! You’re making fun of me?!" Takemichi scoffed at his partner. 

"Man, I’m starving!" Keisuke spoke up loud as he and I started to walk away. 

"Don’t ignore me, Baji-kun!" 

Later the four of us went into the ramen shop and sat together at a table to discuss future plans like what to do next about Kisaki or the Black Dragons. 

"Kisaki is really gonna kill us, huh? That future is really pissing me off right now." Keisuke snarled out under his breath as he grabbed his chopsticks so tightly that they might break in half at any second now. 

"So Kisaki really is Baji-san and Nana-san's enemy all along…" Chifuyu added. 

"Yeah, no doubt about it. Heard that straight from Kisaki himself in the future." Takemichi confirmed. 

"I’ll fucking kill him!" Keisuke snapped and I immediately grabbed him by the arm to calm him down. 

"Calm down, Keisuke..." I spoke up in a soft tone before the said boy cooled down a bit upon hearing my voice. "As the 3rd division captain, Kisaki has 100 men under his command. There’s also the newly established 6th division formed out of former Valhalla members. Plus compared to them, Takamichi and Chifuyu just became the new leaders of the 1st Division while you became my newly appointed assistant and bodyguard. None of us are real functional yet..."

"That’s a real big difference…" Takemichi agreed, nodding his head. 

"But even though I’m really pumped!" Chifuyu stated with a big smirk while Takemichi gave him a confused look. "We are gonna make the 1st Division into an unbeatable team, Takemichi! Just like how it was when Baji-san was still the 1st Division captain. You’re starting from nothing, but I know you can pull it off! We’ll curb stomp the Black Dragons, Kisaki, I don’t care who! I got your back to the very end! That's my answer to you for telling us everything!" 

"Chifuyu…" Takemichi trailed off in surprise, completely moved by Chifuyu's speech. 

"Let’s make this work!" Chifuyu added with a grin, making Takemichi grin back at him. 

"Yeah, alright! Let's do this, partner!" Takemichi responded back before the two blonde boys started to make plans about how they could stop Hakkai Shiba (the 2nd Division Vice Captain) from leaving Toman. 

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Keisuke asked, deadpanning at those two boys while listening in to their ridiculous plans. "Having Chifuyu by my side for more than a year made me realize what a big dumbass he really is. Takemichi's also not too far behind in that category by the way. They might get their asses kicked if they keep up like this..." 

"I think it's okay... Just let them be. You're neither a part of the 1st Division nor you're Chifuyu's boss anymore, so let them work together and figure things out on their own." I responded back with a shrug and in response, Keisuke gave me a skeptical look, narrowing his sharp eyes at me. 

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" he asked and my lips curled up into a small mischievous smirk. 

"You know me so well, Kei-chan.~" I cooed causing Keisuke to simply roll his eyes at him before he let out a small chuckle in amusement and went back to his yakisoba noodles again. 

5th December 2005

"Ah? Then you want to fight the Black Dragons?" Draken asked the 1st Division admins while idly leaning back on his seat.

Right now, some of the Toman members (Draken, Keisuke, Takemichi, Chifuyu, Smiley, Mucho, Kisaki, and Hanma) and I were dining at Danny's for lunch while discussing what to do next regarding Taiju Shiba and the Black Dragons. Keisuke was the one who requested Draken for this urgent meeting to be held here today so that Takemichi and Chifuyu could talk things out with the Vice-Commander. 

"Yes!" Takemichi replied back with enthusiasm and determination. 

"Quit fucking with us, jackass. I have said I'll kill you a million times already!" Smiley intervened in a threatening voice but with a smiling face.

"If you actually kill people every time you say so, you end the world, you moron..." Mucho stated in a monotone voice and deadpanned face.

"I'll kill you, Takemitchyi! Ah! See, I say it again!" Smiley scoffed yet was still smiling before looking back at Takemichi again. "Anyway, we reject the decision to crush the Black Dragons to stop Hakkai from killing Taiju!" 

"Hella dull!" Hanma sang out with his annoying chuckle beside a brooding Kisaki. 

As much as I hated Kisaki and Hanma to the bone and didn't want them to join the meeting, I had no other choice but to helplessly watch Draken calling them over here today for the gathering because even after everything, at the end of the day they were still one of the higher-ups of Toman now. 

"Whaddya think, Draken?" Smiley asked, causing everyone to look over at the Vice-Commander.

"Hmm. Rejected!" Draken stated in a firm tone and looked back at the 1st Division captain with a frowning face. "Takemitchy, I know you probably have your own considerations backing this up. But do you really wanna ruin the peace pact Mitsuya worked for? Doing this would ruin his reputation. This discussion is over." 

"Well damn, Ken-chan, you rejected Takemichi just as fast as you reject Emma. No wonder your situation's so terrible..." I commented with amusement and in response, Draken kicked me on the legs from the under the table we were sitting at. 

"No more funny words from you, woman." the tall blonde beanpole threatened me in a menacing tone but I wasn't fazed a bit.

"Sure, this might ruin Takashi's reputation but also at the same time this is Taiju Shiba we are talking about and that bastard can't be trusted. We did all this shit just to protect Hakkai and Yuzuha but do you really think Taiju's gonna keep the promise? Ken-chan, take some time and think about it for once... If Hakkai commits that grave mistake, the poor boy's gonna end up in prison very soon. And it's not like he's doing this just to entertain himself or anything. He's doing this because he's compelled in doing so. He really has no other choice left if he wants to keep Yuzuha away from that fucking tyrant of a bastard Taiju..." I added before letting out a sigh. 

"That's their problem, Nana. We shouldn't get mixed in this." Draken argued back. 

"But Hakkai's our friend and a former teammate." I countered back with a scowl. 

"If we try to intervene, there's gonna be a war, Nana and you know it. Fighting Taiju Shiba means blood's gonna be pouring down like rainfall. That guy's a menace and he runs his gang like an army, so we need to be careful on this one, you said it yourself, remember?" Draken stated and that's when I didn't respond back because what he said was completely accurate. 

Sure I wanted to help out Hakkai but risking my other teammates' lives when Taiju Shiba was in the question...?

"Dammit, so many complications!" I groaned out in frustration and gently slammed my forehead on the table. "This is the worst birthday ever." 

"Huh? Today's your birthday, Nana-chan?" Takemichi asked in surprise and I slightly nodded my head in response before a gleeful smile formed on Takemichi's face. "Happy birthday, Nana-chan!"

I turned my head to the side which was still resting on the table and looked over at his form. 

"Thanks, Takemichi..." I responded back with a small smile. 

"It's never gonna be your worst birthday when I'm still around." Keisuke finally chimed in with a scoff as he stood up from his seat, making his way over to my seat. 

"I'm not celebrating shit in a critical situation like this, Keisuke." I scoffed back before the said boy softly grabbed my arm and pulled me up from my seat. "H-Hey, what are you-" 

"I'm taking you out right now. I promised you that, remember? Let's go." Keisuke stated and before I could even do anything about it, the long-haired ravenette dragged me along with him and pulled me out of the restaurant.

"But, Keisuke!" I whined out with a pout as we walked over to his motorbike Goki at the parking lot. 

"No buts, Nana." he cut off my whining. 

"But at least tell me where are we going? We can't go anywhere further or out of Tokyo." I stated with a heavy sigh. 

"I'm aware of that, dumbass. I wanted to take you to the Tokyo Disney Sea at Urayasu, Chiba but canceled that plan at the last minute. We can't go that far when the stakes are high..." he replied, slightly shaking his head. 

"It's that new theme park founded back four years ago, like 2001 right?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. 

"Yeah... I'll take you there next time, I promise. Right now, we're going shopping..." he stated, causing me to give him a confused look. 

"You know I hate shopping, Keisuke." I pointed out with a deadpan face. 

"We're not gonna shop for clothes and makeup. I'm taking you to the Animate shop at Akihabara. You wanted to buy some new manga and anime merchandise, yeah?" Keisuke asked, and hearing his words made me gasp out in shock while it brought the light of happiness to my brownish-amber eyes before I snapped out of my shocked state and jumped into his arms, hugging him all tight, literally startling him to death. 

Animate is by far one of the largest, most popular anime and manga chain stores in Japan. It has hundreds of anime and manga goods ranging from manga and figures to posters, stationery goods, and much more. Located at Akihabara in Tokyo, the home of anime and otaku culture, this branch is filled with seven floors dedicated to all things anime. No matter the level of anime fans, Animate's extensive collection of figures, cosplay goods, and collectibles are sure to captivate and intrigue guests of all ages. If one's looking for the latest releases or just wants to find merchandise for their favorite anime character, chances are they'll find them in this large anime shopping mall. The first Animate store was opened in 1983 in Ikebukuro, Tokyo which is also known as a town of subculture hobbies just like Akihabara. Each floor is subdivided to help guests navigate, split from CD & DVD sections, manga sections, video games, character goods, cosplay accessories, etc. There's even a floor dedicated to holding events where anime creators and voice actors come out for meet-and-greet events. Animate is one of the most popular stores to visit for all things anime and manga, making it a must while in Akihabara. Animate is so popular that it currently has about 120 shops all over Japan. There is no prefecture in Japan without an Animate shop. 

He actually remembered that I wanted to go and buy some new manga...?! Keisuke's so sweet!! 

Although he's always been sweet towards me no matter what... Keisuke's the best!! 

"You know me so well, Kei-chan! I love you!" I squealed out in joy. 

"Hey! W-What are you-" Keisuke began to stutter out with a deep blushing face but was immediately cut off when I placed a soft kiss on his cheeks. "D-Don't kiss me in public like this!" 

"Oh, so you want me to kiss you behind closed doors?" I teased him with a mischievous smirk. 

"W-What?! I never said that!" he argued back with a frowning face, his cheeks still hot and red. 

"Seems like it to me.~" I cooed at him.

"Tsk... Careful, you damn woman. You're playing with fire right now." Keisuke warned me with a sharp look but I brushed him off with my giggles and teasings. 

Let's just say that in the midst of all these troubles and chaos, my 15th birthday didn't go all that bad because later in the evening after finishing shopping, Keisuke took me to the Sanrio Cafe at Ikebukuro for dinner where I was able to take a cute picture of him (much of his own annoyance and embarrassment) and saved that photo as wallpaper in my cell phone (without him knowing of course). 

14th January 2006

It had been only four days since the 27-year-old adult Takemichi went back to the future after completing his mission and almost ten days since Kisaki and Hanma were kicked out of Toman. Now with those two out of the way, to me, life came back to normal. There was no stress, no burden. After New Year's, Mitsuya and I went back to school again and were getting ready for our middle school graduation which was going to happen this upcoming spring in April. Others like Keisuke, Chifuyu, Hakkai, and Emma were about to advance from 2nd year to their 3rd/final year in middle school. Manjiro and Draken were also about to graduate from middle school, but they weren't exactly thinking of attending high school, unlike Mitsuya and me. 

And in school, where it was just only two months left before my middle school graduation, student life suddenly became hectic as hell - from final exams and high school admission tests to taking preparation for the graduation ceremony and everything, I never found myself so busy and concerned in life. 

"Graduation is coming up soon... Any plans and ideas about which high school you guys wanna go to?" a brunette girl beside me spoke up as we were eating our lunch at the cafeteria; her name was Kyoko Hori. 

Kyoko was this tall, slim girl, known to be cute and pretty by most of our classmates with mid-back length chestnut-brown hair with bangs swept to the right side and possessed golden-brown eyes. She was normally a very energetic and popular person who always created a happy atmosphere around herself and was a hard worker in all aspects of her life. Although when nervous or embarrassed, she tended to switch to a violent state. She was also known to be the very jealous type when at times girls flirted with her boyfriend, Izumi Miyamura, to the point where we started calling her the "Ice Queen" or the "Goddess of Jealousy". But overall, Kyoko was a sweet, caring girl who became one of my closest friends in school. 

"I'm thinking of going to a school close to my home actually..." another girl with short blonde hair spoke up from beside Kyoko; it was Yuki Yoshikawa. 

Yuki was a short, slim girl with light olive-green hair that was cut short with bangs parted in the middle into bangs framing her face while she also possessed round yellow eyes and thin eyebrows. She had a typical bubbly and ditzy personality who often created a fun and happy atmosphere for those close to her, though she could be quite lazy which was evident by her tendency to sleep during class a lot of the time. She was easy to get along with and was someone who could make friends relatively quickly. However, Yuki often tried to hide her negative feelings, especially in front of friends, by pretending that she was alright and didn't care about the situation, hiding it by covering it with a smile and that the more she didn't want to let go of something, the less she talked about it. As she was reserved when it came to her own feelings, she would never tell anyone how she really felt or what she really wanted and due to this attitude of hers, the things she loved often were out of her reach most of the time. 

"I wanna attend the same school that Sakura's gonna attend!" another different individual spoke up in a cheery tone from beside me this time - she was a part of the student council committee, Remi Ayasaki.

Remi was a beautiful, very cute young girl with waist-length hot pink hair, always tied up in twin tails, bangs hanging over her forehead while she had these big dark-pink doe eyes. She had a very short stature and this caused her to be the shortest one among our girlfriends' group. Remi was a rather childish girl who had a very straightforward personality and who wore her emotions on her sleeve. She relied on other people's help regularly, especially her childhood best friend Sakura, and was also not very smart. 

"That would be nice if we all stayed together like this." the last person spoke up in a meek yet happy tone and it was Sakura Kono, another person part of the student council committee. 

Sakura had short green hair, green eyes, and wore a pair of eyeglasses whose height and body stature was similar to Kyoko's except she had a pair of fairly large breasts. Sakura was a well-rounded, kind, and responsible person. She was very hardworking, making sure that the student council did its work. She was quite reserved as a person and there were times when she used to feel insecure about herself but that slowly changed throughout her time in middle school with us, leading her to gain self-confidence and make new friends. 

Kyoko, Yuki, Remi, and Sakura - all four of these girls were my closest friends here in this middle school I was attending. 

"Hey, what about you, Nana?" Kyoko asked with a curious look in her eyes, leaning forward against the table while sitting on my opposite side and I gave her a questioning look as I looked up from my meal. 

"Huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Weren't you listening, Nana?" Remi huffed with a pout. 

"Oh, you mean which high school I'm choosing? Yeah well, I decided to stick to the reputable ones in the Shibuya area." I replied nonchalantly. "I don't wanna go too far from home..." 

"That'll be very sad if we all go our separate ways..." Sakura commented with a small sad smile. 

"Yeah. We won't be able to meet much often like now." Remi whined out while Yuki nodded her head in agreement.

"You guys... this isn't gonna be our final goodbye." I sighed and slightly shook my head. "The world is small. We'll definitely meet again. We'll meet outside schools and stuff if we end up going to different high schools. If you guys think that the walls of a school campus are all there in this wide world, then you guys haven't grown up much yet." 

"Oh, Nana and her wise words. Gonna miss that so much.~" Kyoko sang out dramatically.

In response, I scoffed and playfully flickered her forehead while the other girls let out some giggles and chuckles in amusement. 

"Hey, I've heard that a lot of the seniors are getting proposed and asked out left and right these days?!" Yuki suddenly spoke up in a whispered tone, now changing the topic and she talked in a way as if she was gossiping about something scandalous. 

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and Kyoko nodded her head in response. "Why?"

"Yeah. Graduation is on the way and many people are gonna go to separate paths and directions. They don't wanna lose the opportunities they have, so yeah, many of them are either asking out their crushes or getting asked out. Some are getting accepted and some are getting rejected." Kyoko explained.

"Hmm... Don't wanna lose the opportunities; Time is running away; It's not ever gonna return to us; Chances like these might never come back; Seize the moment and learn to live with it... Ah, how poetic." I muttered out and the girls started to chuckle again. 

"Seriously, Nana? You should become a writer or a philosopher in the future." Yuki giggled, wiping away her fake tears. 

"But now that we're on this topic... Nana, did anyone ask you out?" Remi asked with all curiosity. 

"Huh? No. Not yet." I replied, shaking my head. 

"Seriously, not yet?!" Remi gasped in shock. 

"But Nana, you're so popular in school. I'm sure there's a handful amount of boys who like you." Sakura stated but I just shrugged in response. 

For some reason, I always used to get this unnecessary attention here in this middle school from the very beginning. But one way or another I also had expected this attention since this school thought highly of successful students and I was, unfortunately, one of them. With getting high scores in exams and somewhat possessing good looks or whatever, I was one of the admired members of the top of my school's social pyramid. And this had its ups and downs. One of the advantages of having what I would call 'superficial popularity' was that I was never alone. People were never afraid to say 'hello' to me, asked how I was, sat with me at lunch, request tutoring and the list goes on and on. However, everything has its negative side or disadvantages to it, and the term 'superficial popularity' also pulled me into a situation where the student body would automatically see or wish to see me as someone "perfect" without even trying to know who I really was. 

"I don't know if I've secret admirers or not. I don't care really." I responded with a shrug. 

To be honest, I had never thought about this kind of stuff, to begin with. At first, I was in love with Shinichiro when I was younger and after he passed away, I decided to move on with my life when I again fell in love for the second time with someone else and it was Keisuke. Throughout my whole life, I had always been in love with someone who was very dear to me at different times and places in my life whether it was Shinichiro or Keisuke depending on those times and places, so small things like crushes or secret admirers had never actually crossed my mind. It was nice and sweet to know that someone was probably out there who liked me but also at the same time I wasn't interested at all. 

I mean I already had Keisuke in my life, so what else would I need anyway? 

"Ne, ne, Nana-chan... Is it true? Have you finally decided to..." a random girl from my class spoke up as she and her group of friends approached me after lunch and stood around my desk with a curious look in their eyes.

"Hm?" I hummed in response, looking up to meet her gaze. 

"...Confess to Sengoku-kun?" she completed her question. 

"Huh? Confess? What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. 

"Well..." another girl spoke up this time around. "You can't be in a relationship without someone taking initiative." 

And this had me even more confused. 

What the hell is she even blabbering about...? 

"If you're not together yet, the whole class agreed to help!" another one commented enthusiastically and I hadn't even asked for that.

What the hell? How would they know if I'm even relatively interested in a relationship right now? 

And only then did I realize that a good half of the class was listening attentively to our little conversation, including my girlfriends Kyoko, Yuki, Remi, and Sakura. I also noticed Remi was now wearing a sour, bitter expression on her face, her eyes downcasted when I was asked about Sengoku. 

Kakeru Sengoku was a charismatic member of the student council committee of our school who was also Kyoko's childhood friend since elementary school. He was a slim, pale-skinned young man with smooth red hair that was parted towards the right side where it completely covered both his ears and also possessed red eyes. Due to his skinny figure, he usually used to wear multiple layers of clothing to appear of a healthier weight. This, along with his unusually high voice, made him appear somewhat feminine. 

Sengoku was a rather shy boy who would get embarrassed easily. The slightest thing would make him cower in fear, especially things to do with horror or insects. As a student, he was very smart and serious, usually ranked No. 1 in terms of grades in the school and No. 2 in Sports and Physical Education class. He enjoyed reading and had an incredible level of concentration while doing so, to the point of ignoring everything else going around him. Sengoku wasn't generally very expressive with his emotions but the sole exception was his anger or irritation, which he showed from time to time as he was one of the leading members of the student council. 

The reason why Remi was looking all downcasted at this moment was that she had this crush on Sengoku for a while now. I had always been aware of her feelings from the very start. My other girlfriends were also aware of this whole situation and because of that, they had always supported Remi and her feelings. I supported her too, so it was kind of awkward for me whenever people would come up to me and ask about Sengoku. And it wasn't like I was super close to him or something like that. I met and became friends with him through Kyoko at the beginning of our middle school years and there were times when we would study together in the library or I would help him out with the student council work and because of that many people sometimes caught us spending time together but that didn't mean we were attracted to each other or liked each other beyond platonic level. 

Besides, I spend way more time with Keisuke than I spend with Sengoku... 

Then why the fuck rumors about me and Keisuke hadn't still spread through school yet...?

"I'm sorry. I believe you've got it all wrong." I sighed.

Lashing out would be like giving them what they wanted and what they wanted was some good gossip.

"Sengoku and I don't have any romantic feelings for each other. We're just good friends." I stated in a firm tone, establishing the fact as strongly as possible. 

Two weeks later

As presumed the rumors didn't stop with that, no matter how clear I made it. A week had passed and my class still hadn't shut up. The worst part of it was that they labeled me as some sort of "love-denying kuudere" or shit like that. And, just as I predicted, the small flame I believed I had contained had flared into a raging wildfire. After a weekend break, when I returned to school, I expected to resume my school life like normal, but I was suddenly the center of attention. Every single time I walked into a room, they were staring at me. Every single conversation I had, had to be about Sengoku. Whenever I walked beside the red-haired boy, a cascade of "ooo's" and "ahh's" would fill the hallways. I had become twenty times more popular than I was before and I hated every second of it. 

"Sengoku..." I called out sternly in a low voice as he and I were sitting in the student council room for lunch. "We need to talk about the elephant in the room."

"Mmph?" Sengoku mumbled, looking up at me, his mouth was stuffed with food. 

He looks like a little chipmunk... 

"The rumors...." I went on and he was yet to respond back. "Aren't you bothered by it? At all?"

Was he that clueless? It can't be, right...?

"C-Can you specify... Which rumors?" he asked in confusion and I raised an eyebrow at him. 

He really didn't care?! 

"You know... they think we're dating..." I replied and Sengoku immediately choked on his onigiri. 

Let's just say, the red-haired boy got so flustered that in the end the conversation didn't go anywhere and the problem remained unsolved.

Every time the rumors were brought up, I counted on Sengoku to shoot them down, but for some reason, he didn't do it and it was making my life a living hell. Remi on the other hand also started to feel more and more downcasted and gloomy as time went on and it made me so hard to even look at her in the eyes because the last thing I wanted was to hurt her feelings and become an obstacle for her potential love life. 

I need to do this for Remi...

"I love Keisuke and I'm currently in a relationship with him." I lied in a monotone yet firm voice to those girls who initiated this whole rumor shit about me and Sengoku. 

"Huuhh?! Baji-kun?!" they gasped in shock and I looked at them in confusion. 

Why are they so shocked anyway...? 

"Why do you girls look all shocked?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Keisuke and I are childhood best friends and our relationship blossomed from platonic friendship to romantic love. There's nothing unusual about it. Things like this happen all the time." 

Can't childhood best friends fall in love with each other...? 

"But he's a nerd and a former delinquent!!" they pointed out, looking all distressed and defeated. 

"Yeah, so?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in annoyance.  

"Sengoku-kun's way better than him!" 

"I don't think so..." I stated nonchalantly. 

"Baji-kun's so nerdy looking and he always wears these weird glasses!" 

Bitch, have you ever seen him outside school? He's fucking hot as hell! He's too beautiful and sexy for his own good! 

Not to mention you bitches even said that same shit about Miyamura before that poor guy had to cut his hair short...

"If you girls see him without those glasses, you won't be saying that again. Besides, I don't care about his looks or anything. All I care about is his personality and his morality as a human being." I stated with a sigh and with that, I walked away from them. 

It didn't take long for people to spread nasty words like - "Holy shit, Osaki from Class 3-1 is dating Baji from 2-3" or "She's super smart and pretty cute too" or "Why the hell is she dating Baji?" or "It's crazy! Hell, I'd be a way better match for her!" or "Osaki's dating Baji? The nerdy-looking former delinquent? OMG! What's wrong with her? Talk about terrible taste!" and shits like these. And just as I expected, these words reached up to Keisuke's ears as well. 

"So rumor has it that I'm allegedly your boyfriend and we've been secretly dating for a few months now..." Keisuke stated, staring me down with narrowed eyes as he and I were sitting in an empty classroom after school where I was tutoring him for his upcoming math test. 

And this made me spill out everything to him about the rumors that were going around about me and Sengoku, thinking that he would obviously understand. 

"It was really frustrating, you know." I sighed while running a hand through my raven locks. 

"So you chose me as your convenient fake boyfriend to escape from the situation?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows at me. 

"More or less yes. You were my safe solution to this problem." I replied and placed my chin in the palm of my hand which was resting on the desk we were sitting at before my lips curled up into a small smile. "Also, I like the idea of dating you, even if it's fake." 

Keisuke's eyes immediately went wide open in shock when I said those words and his cheeks started to turn pink in color. 

"Y-You like me?" he asked in a quiet tone, looking at me all confused. 

It's now or never... Let's do this... Seize the moment... Don't let this opportunity go...

"I thought I was always obvious about my feelings for you..." I stated with a teasing smile. 

"What about Shinichiro-kun?" he asked. 

"What about Shin-chan? He passed away and he's never coming back. I don't wanna live the rest of my life loving a dead man." I scoffed in response. 

"But why me?" Keisuke asked, pursing his lips as the color of his cheeks were turning from pink to red. "What's so great about me anyway?" 

"To this, I don't have a specific answer. To be honest, I love everything about you - your good looks, your personality, your loyalty, your honesty, your morality, your passion, your energy... Even though you're violent and aggressive and love to live a carefree life, even though you burn down cars simply because you're hungry and craving peyoung yakisoba, I think you're still very charming and sweet. Life always seems fun and colorful when you're around. When I'm with you, I feel like I'm in a flower meadow for the first time having spent what feels like an eternity living in a windowless box. There's a lot of emotion I feel for you, Keisuke and I can't just describe it with just one word. I've always loved and cared about you ever since we first met, Keisuke, always..." I stated with a sheepish chuckle, my cheeks also started to turn the deepest red in color. 

For a moment silence fell in between us with Keisuke looking down at his hands on the desk, contemplating the words I just told him now while I was silently sitting there, waiting for a response. 

Please Keisuke, say something... Anything... 

I had accepted my feelings for Keisuke a long time ago and now that I had told him everything, there was no going back. The man was confident, but not too cocky and funny. Enjoying his company always seemed so natural to me. Whenever he was around, I couldn’t help but hear the loud beating of my own heart. But who was to blame? Keisuke was drop-dead gorgeous. Who wouldn’t get captivated by him? Keisuke was weird, but he was kind. He was a violent tsundere who liked to commit arson when hungry but he also had a heart of gold. He looked intimidating and scary, but his intentions were always pure and selfless. 

Maybe that's why I was in love with him. I loved him so much that I would lose control of myself. Keisuke was someone who was fine with being the sacrificial lamb for his friends and dear ones. And I found it irritating sometimes. He talked and walked around like nothing was wrong, always pretending that he was indifferent, just fine with all the negative things people thought about him. It was so irritating that it made me want to turn his head around and look at me, made me want to tell him how special he was to me, how great he was to me. That he, Keisuke Baji, had a huge impact on the lives of every people he came across up until now. 

I kept falling in love with him and each time was harder than the last. Every time the feeling got deeper, more complete, more bewitching. There wasn't a thing I wouldn't do to keep him safe, so Keisuke wouldn't ever have to think of asking for my affection. The more love I gave him the more I had bursting inside of me. Crazy, huh? The more love we shared the more it multiplied. 

I loved Keisuke in the way a puppy loved - devoted, playful, trusting. I guess I should be ashamed of that somehow; weren't we all supposed to be tough? Yet I preferred to be strong; strong enough to risk being broken all over again, to love again, fully knowing my own fragility. I had known heartbreak enough to shatter my mind, to leave my soul feeling like dust in the wind and my body unwilling to live. But Keisuke was worth my life and all that I had left was his. 

"If... if that's the case..." Keisuke spoke up, pulling me out of my trance as he looked back at me again with furrowed eyebrows and blushing cheeks. "Then let's make it real..." 

My breath hitched when he said those words and my eyes immediately went wide open in surprise. 

"Let's make this fake dating thing real..." he added as his eyes softened at my sight. "But before that... Nana, I’m a very simple guy, so, I’ll say my words in my simple ways..." 

I nodded my head, telling him to continue while my heart started to beat faster than before. 

"I'm in love with you, Nana... I always have been. It was always been you." Keisuke confessed before his lips curled up into a gentle smile when he noticed my red, hot cheeks and my widened eyes which were staring at him. "I'm not that smooth with my words and I'm not good at expressing my feelings, especially in things like this, but that's the truth and I wanted to tell you for a long time now..." 

I was always kind of aware of Keisuke's feelings toward me so it was somewhat expected, but I didn't think that it would be this soon. And he said he was in love with me from the very beginning we met. Did he really love me for that long now?

"I’ve been in love with you ever since I first met you 11 years ago..." he went on before reaching out and grabbing my smaller hands in his larger ones, intertwining our fingers, his warmth radiating through me when our skin touched. "I've been so in love with you, so desperately, hopelessly in love with you and I always hoped you would see me like that too. That one day you would wake up and realize I was right here, and I always had been. But at the same time, I didn't want to ruin this friendship since you're my best friend and one of the most important people in my life. I don’t wanna lose you. But I couldn’t stand keeping this to myself. I only see things in terms of 'what are'. No start or end. I guess that's a kind of pragmatism. I cannot conceptualize them as a passage or journey. That complicates things. My head has so many puzzles to solve. To me, love has to remain simple, pure, easy, and kind. So, that I love you now is that I love you forever. Moment, eternity... They are the same to my heart and soul. I ask you to stay. Just stay. I will too. I'm sure that's all it takes. I hope that is enough... Because it's all I have to offer. So, I need your answer, Nana. Will you go out with me? Like girlfriend-boyfriend kinda thing?” 

Some might call it bewitched but I called it love. For there was an emptiness in the freedom of being alone and liberty in being caught in that divine spell. And so when I saw in his eyes the feelings of my heart, in that very moment we became one and if that wasn't magic then I couldn't say what was. Because his love was so whole, my missing pieces would immediately appear. Because his touch carried such passion, what was scarred became soft once more. Because he was steady and patient, my open wounds had time to seal and vanish.

Perhaps that was why they say love is such magic, this gift from the universe, this sweet addiction to the man I was born to find. For with my twin soul, the only other born in the same flame as I, we were able to bathe one other in warmth and light as easily as we breathe, immune and oblivious to darkness.

"And you're saying you're not that good with words." I let out a chuckle in amusement as my frantic heartbeat started to slow down and his smile grew wider. "But I won't date you unless you promise to marry me in the future." 

"Deal." he immediately replied without any hesitation, grinning widely at me and I gave him a surprised look. 

"Seriously? You'll marry me?" I questioned and he nodded his head with all seriousness. "What about having kids after getting married?"

"We'll have them when the time is right. But not more than two, okay?" he replied with a smile. 

"And pets? I'm a dog person and you're a cat person." I pointed. 

"Then we'll have both; one cat and one dog. No big deal..." he suggested with a shrug and this caused me to let out a soft giggle. 

I could tell his love for me was real, pure, and genuine. His love for me became my protector, my defender, my ride-or-die connection that stayed with me for always and in all ways. It was raw and it would roar for me if required. It would stay with me in quietness and be my comfort. Keisuke's love celebrated with me and raised me up. His love would be okay with my sadness and kiss the scars I hid from others.

It was rare, so I always treasured it and was trying to keep it alive as long as possible, for Keisuke's love was the greatest blessing that heaven could ever give me. His love was pure, unselfish, and undemanding. His love made me feel free, made me feel all soft and warm. This was the kind of love I had waited for, prayed for. I inwardly thanked God for this because a love like this was to be cherished for life. Finally, I felt like being home.

Keisuke isn't perfect and I'm not either, but together we make a great team and are perfect for one another...

"Two kids and two pets, huh? Looks like you've all figured it out... But hey, at least take me on a date at first!" I stated playfully and Keisuke flashed his signature smirk at me. 

"Well, let's go then." he stated before standing up, pulling me up from my seat as well. 

"But your upcoming math test?" I asked as I watched him quickly packing up our bags and stuff. 

"Fuck the math test!" he grinned at me, showcasing his pointy canines before grabbing my wrist and dashing out of the classroom. 

Soon after that, we were out of our school campus and went to a small parking lot in the nearby area where Keisuke's Goki was parked at. 

"Hop on, Nana..." he stated as he hopped on his own bike and tossed his helmet to me. "Safety first.” 

After putting on his helmet, Keisuke shuffled forwards slightly to give me more space to sit on the bike behind him. He then took off his fake, goofy reading glasses and shoved them into his pockets, his long ravenette hair still tied up in a ponytail. 

"Where are we going?” I asked, taking my seat on the bike while Keisuke shrugged, chuckling slightly when I gently wrap my arms around his waist.

"Don’t know, but hold on tight!” he warned, revving his engine and taking off without another word. 

From other people's point of view, I might be a fool for getting on a motorcycle with Keisuke and letting him take me to an undisclosed location, but it had always been like ever since Keisuke started learning to ride his bike and I trusted him enough to know that he wouldn’t try to drive me off a cliff or put me in danger. Keisuke always drove his motorbike like a madman and would leave me with no other choice but to cling to him with dear life. If I didn’t bury myself into his side, I probably would have flown off with all the sharp turns he always did around the other cars or bikes. It was like being taped to the top of a vehicle in Mario Cart, but that was where the fun and the thrills lay. 

"You're never gonna change your driving style, huh Keisuke!" I shouted out over the harsh blaring of the wind while the said boy simply let out a loud chuckle in response. 

"Look over to the side, Nana..." he uttered, slowing down slightly. 

Taking his word for it, I turned my head to the side so my face was no longer pressed against his shoulder. Passing the edge of the road, I could see the perfect view of the beach below, the sea gently glistening under the orange sunset, the fresh ocean air hitting all my senses.

"The beach.” I mused, smiling down at the completely deserted sandy shore, which looked so beautifully peaceful in contrast to how busy it was when I would usually come.

"No shit.” Keisuke chuckled, his eyes remaining glued to the road. 

“But it’s closed.” I let out a defeated sigh, leaning against his back. 

“Yep, that means we’ve got the whole place to ourselves!” he nodded with a wide grin causing my eyes to go wide open in astonishment.

Before I could question what Keisuke meant by that, he steered off the edge of the road and down the steep hillside which led to the beach, though it definitely was not meant to be driven on as there were several warning signs at the side of the road, warning drivers about the hill.

"Keisuke, what the fuck?!” I scolded him over his amused laughter.

“Isn’t this fun?!” he yelled back, enjoying how the wind felt against his skin as he maneuvered his bike down the steep hill. 

Not going to lie, this experience was exciting and concerning all at the same time but it soon all ended when the bike came to a smooth landing on the soft sand of the beach.

“Well, how was that?” Keisuke asked with a smirk, immediately hopping off the bike before offering a hand to me. 

"You're a madman, Keisuke." I commented with an amusing giggle as I took off the helmet before accepting his hand, and stepping off the motorbike while the smile on his face widened a bit more. "But... do you think we could do this again? Some other time, maybe?" 

And in response, Keisuke let out another loud chuckle, resulting in me becoming sheepish for a moment until he wrapped his arms around me and picked me up for a hug.

“Obviously! Anything for you, doll!" he grinned, and my cheeks heated up slightly at his words. 

Keisuke and I are really dating now!! Holy shit!! This is real!!

It's not fake at all!! Can't believe this is actually happening!!

"Huh? Doll? Are we gonna give each other nicknames now?" I playfully scoffed at him causing Keisuke to lean closer to my face, his sharp bronze eyes boring into my brownish-amber ones. 

"You want other names? Like Baby, Babe, Buttercup, Cutie pie, Babydoll, Sweet-Cheeks?" he teased with a mischievous smirk to which in response I threw him a dirty glare and pushed his face away from mine. 

"Ew! No! That's cringey!" I scoffed while he let out another chuckle and placed me back down on the sand before he started to dash off towards the sea.

“Anyway, let's race! Loser owes the other lunch!” he shouted out at me. 

"Eh?! Oi, Keisuke, you moron! Wait up!" 

And this was how Keisuke and I started a new chapter of our lives. 

I love you, Keisuke, Like the sky loves the birds, With open hands and infinite freedom.

February 19th, 2006

It was still early in the evening when Chifuyu and Takemichi arrived at Keisuke’s place today to help him out with the furniture redecoration of the Baji household just because Keisuke’s mom, Ryoko Baji felt like doing so. The thing was, Ryoko heavily believed in astrology, good luck charms, and stuff like that and she also believed that redecorating her whole house would bring good luck to the Baji family’s life, especially in Keisuke’s life to be more accurate.

“Sorry about this, guys…” Keisuke stated in his usual deep yet soft tone to Takemichi and Chifuyu who were shifting heavy furniture from one room to another. “Nana and I were supposed to help my mom redecorate our whole house. Feng Shui says it’s good luck. But obviously, it’s impossible for just the two of us alone, so you two are really saving us here…”

“So heavy!” Takemichi grunted out through his gritted teeth when he tried to lift a box that was filled with showpieces.

“Careful, Takemitchy!” Chifuyu called out in concern before rushing over to his friend to help him out. “That box has showpieces in it. Drop it and everything in it will break into millions of pieces.”

“Thanks, Chifuyu and Takemichi…” Ryoko stated with a wide grin of gratitude on her face as she talked into the room while holding a book in her hand. “My Keisuke's here is a weak boy, so he ended up troubling you two.”

“Who’s weak?!” Keisuke snapped, growling at his mother with furrowed eyebrows before I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“Calm down now, Keisuke. Let’s not make a ruckus now.” I mumbled into his ears in a gentle voice to which the said boy immediately went quiet before returning to work.

“N-No, we're fine!” Takemichi stuttered out in embarrassment with a blushing face, smiling sheepishly at Ryoko.

This was the first time Takemichi came to the Baji household and the first time seeing Keisuke’s mom, so naturally, he was feeling quite flustered – after all, he didn’t expect the matriarch Ryoko Baji to be so young-looking and beautiful.

“Where should we put this, Ryoko-san?” Chifuyu asked her in a polite tone before the Baji matriarch started to guide the two boys with the whole redecoration again.

“Alright! That's it then!” Ryoko stated just after the two blonde boys shifted a cupboard to a different room.

“Okay!” Chifuyu and Takemichi responded in unison, sweat dripping from their bodies from all their hard work for the past few hours.

“Chifuyu, Takemichi, apparently the living room furniture is important too, so after you're done with that please take care of it.” Ryoko instructed with a smile while her eyes locked down at the pages of the book which was still in her hand.

The book in her hand happened to be one of those which tells you what’s good luck for you or not and using that Ryoko had been guiding us through this entire time.

“Oh! Ah, yes!!” they replied before dashing towards the living room.

“Hey, mom!” Keisuke called out with a frowning face as he pulled out some manga books from his mother’s bookshelf. “I thought all my manga were gone. Why are they here?!”

“Keisuke, I’m still reading them!!” Ryoko snapped back.

“Please, don’t fight over some manga, you two…” I spoke up again, sighing heavily at the antics of these two Bajis while rearranging some showpieces on the shelf just like how Ryoko wanted.

“Oh excuse me, Chifuyu. Can you go to the convenience store on the corner and get me a garbage bag?” Ryoko asked in a gentle, motherly tone.

“Yes!!”

“And Takemichi, please be a dear and get me a small parfait from the sweets section. The waitress there often forgets to serve it with a spoon, so make sure it’s ready to go.”

“O-Oh, okay, yes!!”

Making Keisuke’s friends do all of her work - that was one of Ryoko’s personality traits which I found very funny sometimes, like how she was ordering around Chifuyu and Takemichi and making them run around the house but none of them could say anything to her because one, she was a parental figure to them, so they couldn’t be disrespectful towards her which was obvious and two, she was ordering them around in such a soft, motherly tone that the poor boys didn’t exactly know how to refuse her orders.

“Finally, we are done!” a sweaty, tired Takemichi exclaimed out in joy with a grinning Chifuyu standing beside him as we all looked around at the redecorated house.

“Oh, I’m sorry. This is wrong.” Ryoko suddenly spoke up in a concerned tone, staring down at her book with furrowed eyebrows, and in response, Takemichi and Chifuyu went stiff as a stone in their spot.

“Huh? What are you saying?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“I was looking at the wrong page!” Ryoko stated, showing me a certain page from the book. “This isn't gonna bring me good luck!”

“What the hell are you doing?!” Keisuke snapped at his mother again with his hands on his hips. “You're kidding me! Come on woman, this is enough!”

“This isn’t good!” Ryoko snapped back at her son. “My lack of fortune caused you a lot of problems before, Keisuke! Remember that one time you broke your left arm?!”

And her words suddenly made me recall one incident from early 2004 which was just two years ago when one delinquent gang named Killer Bee forcefully barged into our school to attack Keisuke because they were aware of the fact that Keisuke Baji would never fight and throw hands inside the school campus. Although Keisuke didn’t fight them back and ended by breaking his left arm when he was defending himself from their attack, his former vice-captain Ryusei Sato and Chifuyu were the ones who jumped into the action right on time and saved his life from that gang. I was also there with them and I remembered knocking the commander of that gang out cold in one go by throwing one of Manjiro’s infamous roundhouse kicks on that man’s head.

“I don’t care! And that had nothing to do with this!!” Keisuke shouted out in frustration again as he and his mother began to throw fiery daggers at each other through their sharp glares.

“A-Ah don’t worry! We’ll do it again!” Chifuyu intervened in a nervous tone, trying to calm down those two Bajis before looking over at a concerned Takemichi. “Right, Takemitchy?!”

“Y-Yes!!” Takemichi squeaked out, furiously nodding his head before they both rushed over to the room to shift around the heavy objects again.

“Ngh! Uaghhh!!!”

“Ha!! So heavy!!”

“I know right!!”

“What’s wrong?” Keisuke asked as he walked over to the boys who were now on the ground, all sweaty and tired and was out of breath, taking a break for a moment before they would start redecorating again. “Are you two worn out? Well, I suppose you two did carry a lot of stuff.”

“N-No we are totally fine, Baji-san!” Chifuyu tried to convince his former captain but failed miserably.

“Just give us a moment, Baji-kun and we will carry-“ Takemichi was about to say something more but was cut off immediately when Keisuke lifted a huge cupboard with just one arm. 

“No more. Just rest.” Keisuke stated in a cool, nonchalant voice before he walked away with the cupboard in his arm while the two blondies stared at the ravenette man in complete shock with dropped jaws and widened eyes.

“And his mother calls him weak?!” Takemichi gasped out, causing me to chuckle in response. “Just how strong is Baji-kun?!”

“A lot actually. Just like Manjiro and Ken-chan…” I replied with a smile before walking away as well to help out Keisuke.

And it wasn’t long before we redecorated some of the rooms again and our entire work came to a completion.

“Okay, that’s more like it.” Keisuke stated, slightly nodding his head as we looked around the house to see if anything was left to be done.

“Yeah, it’s good, isn’t it?” Ryoko grinned with a satisfied look on her face.

“Well, then. Let’s get something to eat.” Keisuke added before I started to walk towards the kitchen with Ryoko.

“Ryoko-san and I’ll go and cook something for us. You guys take some rest in the meantime.” I stated, causing the faces of the boys to light up in pure happiness and excitement.

“Thanks, Nana-san!” Chifuyu called out with a smiling face to which I smiled back in response.

After entering the kitchen, Ryoko and I pondered for a while, thinking of what to cook for dinner tonight. After going through several different options, we finally chose to cook hot pot for the dinner.

“I appreciate your help!” Ryoko stated with a smile as we all gathered around in the living room with the Baji matriarch sitting on a couch while the boys and I were on the floor with our legs crossed, the TV in front of us was turned on and the food was served on the kotatsu table beside us. “Feel free to eat whatever you want.”

“Yes!! It’s good!!” Chifuyu and Takemichi stated happily in unison as they took a bite from their food.

“Also, thanks for the help too, Nana-chan.” Ryoko stated as she then turned to look at me, her smile widened a bit more. “You were a great help today, especially when we were cooking for dinner.”

“I’m glad I was able to help you, Ryoko-san.” I smiled back. “Feel free to call me for help whenever you need it.”

“Ah, sometimes I feel like what I’m gonna do without you, Nana-chan.” Ryoko let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back on the couch in a relaxed manner.

“Now, you’re exaggerating, Ryoko-san. You’re gonna make me blush.” I added before the said woman and I both started to chuckle together in unison.

“Oi, Shitty-mitchy.” Keisuke who was sitting close beside me called out while pointing at the TV, causing the time-leaper to look over at the ravenette boy. “What do you think?”

“Huh? What’s this?” Takemichi asked in confusion, looking over at the TV as well.

“That’s Baji-san's favorite TV show.” Chifuyu informed while chewing his food.

“It’s Kayo Suspense Gekijyo.” Keisuke stated, staring at the TV screen with a serious look on his face, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. “I found out that the woman behind him is the culprit. She claims she wasn’t there when it happened, but I’m pretty sure she’s playing some kind of trick.”

“Oh! You like this kind of thing, don't you, Baji-kun?” Takemichi asked excitedly, his lips curling up into a smile. “No wonder you were always suspicious of Kisaki from the very start.”

“Keisuke’s really into the mystery, crime-thriller genre. Movies, TV shows, novels - doesn’t matter. As long as it contains this particular genre, Keisuke engages himself into it with all his heart, mind, and soul.” I chimed in with a smile before looking over a Keisuke for a moment. “Sometimes I wonder why you wanna be a pet shop owner when you get older… You’re smart and hella perceptive. You can become a police officer or a detective if you want.”

“Police officer or detective, huh?” Keisuke trailed off, getting lost in his own thoughts.

“Yeah, I also think those professions will suit you, Baji-kun…” Takemichi added.

“I can guess the killer too, you know!” Chifuyu chimed in as well, his lips curled up into a wide grin. “I have really good instincts when it comes to that sort of thing!”

“Dumbass! It’s got nothing to do with intuition!” Keisuke playfully scolded his former vice-captain with a smirk. “You have to think in terms of music.”

“Keisuke, it's logic, not music.” I muttered into his ears, immediately correcting his mistake and in response, Keisuke’s cheeks went red in color in complete embarrassment.

“Ah, yes! That's it! That's it!” the ravenette chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

As the four of us continued to chat and laugh while watching the TV show, Ryoko who was sitting on the couch behind us decided to intervene in our conversation.

“You idiots!” Ryoko suddenly spoke up in a loud tone with a beer can in her hand and we all turned over to look at her. “In most of these cases, the fourth guy fighting on the TV is the culprit! the main character, the sidekick, the girl, and then the killer! That’s why the old man is the culprit!”

“Huh?!! That’s not funny at all!” Keisuke snapped at his mother yet again for the umpteenth time this evening.

“Look, the old man is the murderer!” Ryoko countered back, now pointing at the TV. “He’s the killer, only one person can get in that car…”

“He’s not that old!” Keisuke growled out with a frowning face. “If he's an old man, then you are an old woman too!”

“Huh?! What did you say, Keisuke?!!” Ryoko finally snapped back before she threw a kick at her own son.

And the rest of the night went with me and the blonde boys trying to disrupt the fight and calm down the two fiery Bajis every once in a while. As time passed by and the clock almost struck midnight, I found myself the only one in the Baji household to be wide awake while the rest of them were all passed out either on the couch or on the floor. Since I was the only one still up and functioning, I decided to go ahead and engage myself in some household chores, like putting blankets on their sleeping bodies to keep them warm, cleaning up the kotatsu table, putting away tonight’s extra food into the refrigerator, washing all the dirty dishes, and then last but not the least, cleaning the kitchen up completely spotless.

It took me some time to finish my job and as soon as I was done with it, I noticed Ryoko finally waking up from her slumber and sitting up on the couch.

“You’re awake, Ryoko-san.” I smiled, walking up to her.

“You did everything by yourself?” Ryoko asked with a sheepish smile. “Thank you, Nana-chan. Sorry for causing you all this trouble.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m happy to help anytime you need me.” I responded in a reassuring tone.

“Well then, Nana-chan… Can you be a darling and go to the convenience store around the corner and get me some turmeric? And some of those cake rolls with that chocolate chips… the cheeky ones that try to up the quality a notch.” Ryoko stated with a closed-eyed smile and I sweat-dropped at her in response.

She’s never gonna change, is she…?

“Okay, sure. Be right back.” I smiled back before turning around and walking away towards the front door.

“Don't worry about the house key. Oh and uh, Nana-chan…” Ryoko called and I turned to look back at her again, noticing a warm, gentle smile on her face as she was staring at me with her soft, bronze-colored eyes. “Take care of Keisuke for me, okay?”

In response, my face softened a bit as I blinked at her a few times.

“He was born to an idiot like me and an even more idiotic father.” Ryoko went on in a light tone, her eyes shifted from me to her sleeping son on the floor. “And now he’s a fool too. But… he’s always sincere in what he does. He's simply irresponsible. I taught him that much. Keisuke rarely brings his friends home with him and it’s even more shocking that he fell in love and decided to date a smart, capable girl like you… This is the first time I’ve seen him laughing with all his friends like this. Keisuke is an only child, so maybe Chifuyu and Takemichi are like little brothers to him. And I have nothing to say much when it comes to you, Nana-chan. You and Keisuke have been best friends ever since you two first met years ago at the Sano dojo and now you’ve become lovers. I’m really happy for you two, you know?”

“You’re… happy that Keisuke and I are dating?” I asked as my lips slowly curled up into a small smile.

Ryoko-san’s happy… it means she approves of our relationship, right…?

“I always wanted Keisuke to end up with no one else but you, Nana-chan. I’ve been shipping you two ever since then.” Ryoko replied with a soft chuckle and my smile widened a bit more upon hearing her response. “I hope Keisuke doesn't make too much of a fool of himself. Please keep a close eye on him.”

“Yes, I will, Ryoko-san. You can count on me.” I reassured her once again.

I love Keisuke to death, Ryoko-san…

He’s just so precious to me…

I promise to love and protect him till my dying breath…

As soon as I walked out of the building to head toward the convenience store, someone familiar called out my name from behind me.

“Oi, Nana.”

I turned around to see Keisuke making his way towards me, yawning while running a hand through his silky, raven locks.

“Why are you going alone at this late hour?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit, his eyes telling me he was still tired.

“You were sleeping, so I didn't want to wake you up.” I smiled at him apologetically and in response, he rolled his eyes at me.

“Don't be stupid. I’m coming with you.” He scoffed before we both headed towards the store together.

“Thanks for coming.” I smiled at my lover after we finished our shopping and stepped out of the store.

“Don’t thank me, stupid. As your boyfriend, I have to tag along with you wherever you go.” He scoffed again before gently taking the shopping bag from my grip. “Also, I’m sorry about mom being super annoying today…. I said I didn’t care about my mom’s fortune, but…”

“No, it’s okay.” I giggled in response as we walked down the quiet streets together side by side, the moon in the sky glowing brightly above us, illuminating the whole area like a spotlight. “It’s been a while since I hung out with Ryoko-san like this.”

“You sure? She’s always so pushy.” He muttered, letting out a heavy sigh tiredly.

Somehow, her being a Baji kind of justifies her behavior….

“Besides I got your mom’s approval today.” I informed, grinning at him.

“She always approved you ever since we first met 11 years ago, Nana. She thinks you're the right choice for me. Well, I think that too…” Keisuke smiled back before reaching out and grabbing my hand in his larger one, intertwining our fingers together.

He then looked away from me for a moment and set his eyes on the ground underneath us, that breathtaking smile was still dancing on his face.

“You know, Nana, I… I have known you ever since we were four years old, but then again sometimes I feel like I still don’t know very much about you. I’m still learning about you, little by little. At least, I hope I can fully know and understand you someday…” he muttered in a low, gentle tone which was enough for me to hear his words given the quiet environment around us.

“Yeah, well, the feeling’s mutual…” I muttered as well, tightening the grip of our intertwined hands. "For the past 11 years, we were just childhood best friends and now we are lovers. Our relationship changed and took a completely different form, so obviously, we’ll start rediscovering each other from the scratch.”

“Really?” he asked as he looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” I replied with a smile, causing him to smile back in response.

Soon later we both came back to the Baji household where we found Ryoko and the other two boys on the floor in the living room, sitting in a circle with a big bag placed in the middle.

“What’s that?” Keisuke asked, raising an eyebrow as he and I moved closer to see what it was.

“Candies.” Ryoko replied with a smirk as if she just achieved something great.

“Damn, this is a huge bag. Is it all just candy?” I asked, looking at it while Chifuyu and Takemichi excitedly went through the bag to find anything else other than the sweet treats.

“Yeah. I won an online contest.” Ryoko replied with her smirk growing even wider than before. “The bag is full of candies of different flavors. I wanted to give these to you kids earlier but for some reason, it just slipped away from my mind. Anyway, choose whatever you like.”

“Huh? Online contests? When did you get into this kind of shit?” Keisuke asked in confusion as he and I took a seat with the rest on the floor.

“Doesn’t matter, Keisuke.” I stated before looking through the bag with Chifuyu and Takemichi, pulling out some candies as well. “Let’s see… We have strawberry, fig, pomegranate, orange… There are some weird ones as well, like cheese…”

“Cheese, huh?” Keisuke trailed off, taking the candy from my hand before looking over at his former vice-captain. “Oi, Chifuyu… You don't like cheese, right?”

“Hell no. I’ll rather throw my wallet in a ditch than choke down cheese.” Chifuyu scoffed before huffing and looking away with a pout while Keisuke unwrapped the candy and took it in between his two fingers.

“Right…” Keisuke muttered with a sadistic smirk before he leaned a bit toward the blonde boy, holding the candy in front of his face. “Say aah.”

Just then, for some reason, Chifuyu’s whole face went red.

“Baji-san's feeding me candy!” Chifuyu started mumbling to himself, squirming around where he was sitting as his face was showing all sorts of emotions – shock, happiness, disgust, and a lot more. “This may never happen again! But it’s cheese flavor… Cheese flavor!”

And seeing Chifuyu like this caused me and Takemichi to deadpan at him while Ryoko started to giggle in amusement from beside us.

“Is he in love with Keisuke or something?” I mumbled to Takemichi.

“You creep. Eat on your own.” Keisuke scoffed in disgust, throwing the candy at Chifuyu before moving far away from the blonde boy.

“Huh, B-Baji-san?! I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable! I’m not in love with you, I promise! I see you as my big brother!” Chifuyu cried out in a reassuring tone but Keisuke moved away from him even further yet again, causing Ryoko and Takemichi to laugh at them in amusement.

While this whole commotion continued in the middle of the living room, I quietly moved a bit far away from them and started to go through the candies that I picked from inside the bag- one of them was clay flavored. I simply stared down at the candy in my hand with a confused look written all over my face.

Huh? Clay-flavored candy? What in the world is that?

“Which flavor is that one? Strawberry?”

I quickly looked up to see Keisuke now sitting beside me, also looking at my candy while the others (Ryoko, Takemichi, and Chifuyu) were busy with their own activities just a bit away from us.

“Huh? No, it's clay.” I replied before unwrapping the candy and putting it inside my mouth.

As soon as I did that, I felt like gagging right at that moment. The taste was bitter and was so horrible that it literally killed me.

“Why are you eating a clay-flavored candy?” Keisuke deadpanned at me.

“Just wanted to try the taste… It’s really bitter.” I replied with a small pout, not realizing the look in his eyes and how close he was leaning to my face.

Keisuke then looked back at the others for a bit just to find them still talking about different flavors of candies before he turned his attention back to me and that’s when I looked up and noticed his sharp bronze eyes boring into my brownish-amber ones. The look in his eyes was completely different, something I had never seen before. The emotions behind those pretty eyes were so intense and passionate that they started to draw me toward him even closer without me even realizing it.

What’s with this look?

What’s with the strong emotions behind those eyes?

“Bitter, huh…” he whispered in a deep, rough yet smooth voice before he leaned in even closer to my face, his eyes flickering between my eyes and my lips.

And before I could realize what was happening or even ask him anything, I felt something soft being pressed gently against my own lips – it was Keisuke’s lips and he was kissing me.

Huh? Wait, what? Keisuke’s kissing me now?!

My eyes immediately went wide open in surprise as my body went stiff on the spot but even with that, I still didn’t move an inch and stayed right where I was frozen in shock.

Keisuke, who was doing all the work, was kissing me as if I was breakable like thin glass and all I did was just close my eyes, slowly and unconsciously, to enjoy the moment before noticing him about to do the same as well. I felt him smirking into the kiss, his lips moving against mine slow and soft as his hands crept their way up to my cheeks, holding my face firmly in place so he could lead the kiss. I felt a warm tightening sensation go wild in my stomach, wanting more than just Keisuke's kiss. My hands found their way to his chest where I brought him closer to me, I held onto him tighter than I intended to.

At that moment, I didn’t care if Ryoko, Chifuyu, and Takemichi noticed us kissing. I just simply didn’t care. All I could care and think of was Keisuke’s kiss, his lips, his warmth, his hands, his whole existence. I wanted more. I craved more. I wanted Keisuke to ravish me and sent me high up in heaven or down to the pits of hell; either way, I would remain extremely satisfied with the outcome.

I could feel the heat and warmth radiating from Keisuke’s body with his warm sweet breath on my lips. He smelled very nice; a mix of mint and sandalwood, invading all my five senses, literally driving me to the edge. He then gently pressed his tongue to the seam of my lips, asking for permission, and at my grant of access, delved his tongue inside my mouth. As our tongues intertwined with one another, the kiss got rough, sloppy, and even more demanding. Euphoric warmth began to blossom within me and the whole feeling became completely blissful, making the kiss feel like fireworks, tingles, and desires. It felt as if nothing mattered at that moment, as if nothing existed in this universe; it was just only me and him.

Keisuke moved one of his hands from my cheek to the back of my neck, deepening the kiss and I could nearly feel the slight burn of the cola he was drinking earlier as it rolled off my tongue and seeped down my throat with every push of his tongue against mine.

A kiss is one of the most sensual happenings, aside from sex and of course, I loved it. His lips were so warm and soft and tasted of mint and cola which caused trembles to shake my body while the euphoric warmth blossomed within me once more. He then gently tilted my head to the side and continued to kiss me, his lips demanding. I felt a smoldering heat deep within me as he slanted my head further, deepening the kiss while his fingers in my hair gently ran up and down the back of my neck, coaxing shivers out of me.

The kiss had a raw intensity; breathing fast, heart rated faster. To me, Keisuke was like my personal drug; one touch and the intoxication was instant. His touch electrified every nerve in my body along with my brain. I think probably it was the anticipation of being together in a way that was more than words, in a way that was so completely tangible.

In that moment of the kiss, it felt as if our chemistry became an ever-bright flame. His kiss was not at all the same as those movie stars, but one steeped in a passion that ignites. It was the promise of realness, of the primal desire that lived in us all. In his kiss, I found the promise of years and the sweetness of waiting for real love. In his kiss, I was home, finally.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds before we broke apart for air and rested our foreheads against each other’s, panting slightly before opening our eyes together. In that brief second of pause, all I could do was lovingly stare back at him while he took his time to study my face. I felt my blush deepen under his scrutiny as Keisuke gazed at me lovingly, his eyes softening with tenderness.

He was so gorgeous that my heart seemed to plummet into darkness. His long, black hair; his perfect, carven features; his arrogant, sensual mouth – fuck, right now I wanted to kiss him again so bad. His kiss was so tantalizing, it left me breathless, greedy, and unsatisfied, wanting more.

Just as I was thinking about diving in for another make-out session with Keisuke, he suddenly moved away from me with an unreadable expression, looking absolutely nonchalant, leaving me in utter confusion.

“Keisuke, could you get me some water?” Ryoko suddenly spoke up from her spot with Takemichi and Chifuyu by her side and her voice brought me back to reality.

And that’s when I noticed something weird – the candy which was in my mouth earlier wasn’t there anymore.

“You’re such a pain.” Keisuke groaned out, rolling his eyes before standing up and walking away without spearing a glance at anyone.

On the other hand, I was still sitting in my spot with a hot, red face burning like the sun. Not only Keisuke and I just shared our first kiss seconds ago in front of his mother and our friends but also he stole my clay-flavored candy which was literally in my mouth.

“What’s up, Nana-chan?” Takemichi asked as he came over to me with a confused look.

“Keisuke stole my candy…” I muttered out as a response, not meeting the gaze of the time-leaper.

“Eh, really? What flavor was it?” Chifuyu asked, who also seemed clueless about what just happened earlier as he pulled out some more candies from the bag. “We still have a bunch more, Nana-san.”

“I-I’m good, thanks!” I stuttered out in embarrassment.

“Okay then, you should give this flavor a try!” Ryoko stated before tossing some candies at me who also looked clueless and I let out a heavy sigh in relief.

Looks like they didn’t see what happened between me and Keisuke, huh…?

Thank God…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3rd Person’s POV (Meanwhile in the kitchen)

With a burning face and a racing heart, Baji leaned back against the refrigerator and let out a heavy sigh, trying to process what just happened right now - He just kissed Nana and for both of them, it was their first-ever kiss. Well, he won’t call it a simple kiss; it was more of a small make-out session for them. His breathing was heavy, his hands were now all sweaty, his heart hammered hard against the ribcage as if it would burst out of his chest at any moment now but even after everything, he had never felt so alive and loved before.

Fuck, I love her so much…

Baji then slowly reached up and touched his lips with his fingers, getting himself lost in a deep trance again, thinking about how Nana’s lips felt against his own ones – it was sweet, it was soft, it was sensual and most definitely, it tasted like cherry because of the lip balm she always used.

“She’s right…” Baji mumbled to himself as he closed his eyes, and sighed, twisting the stolen candy with his tongue inside his mouth. “It actually tastes like clay…”

If you wanna check out the entire fanfic, then go to -

[m1ckeyb3rry]

That answers my question I just completely forgot to send it in omfg I CANNOT let myself get distracted while replying anymore I literally like almost deleted this note thinking I already sent it in goodbye.

But anyways….……

LMFAOOO THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT!!! You’ll be the first to know if I ever actually start using it HAHA honestly you’d probably end up answering some boomer like tumblr questions of mine bc I’m ngl why’s there sm on this platform HAHA now that I think about it though I straight up just don’t post anywhere maybe I should start changing that…..

NO SO TRUE because I just KNOW they’re picking the juiciest stories like I’m not scrolling through that subreddit myself HAHA

Just doing my part for the Karasu community!!! Gotta kick start it somewhere yk hopefully I’m inspiring people to talk and request Karasu more often!!!! LMAO wait that’s actually kinda crazy though HAHAHA I guess the Hiori requester sniffed out your secret side character vibes before I did smh….lowk that is interesting though?? Ok my thought process was definitely 1) ok she knows Kaiser so she’s def read the manga 2) she has no character limits so I’m just gonna shoot my shot (it worked out in the best possible way omg) I’ve def seen blogs that only write for the main characters ****itoshis but a good amount of them do out only a specific handful of characters in their request rules….wait actually pause I think the main tipping point for me is actually when I ended up reading cherry tree and was like no fucking way Karasu mention??? Time to test the waters because I kid you not I loved the way you did cherry tree but I was also so fucking hooked on the Karasu cameo I was like oh em gee….karasu mention and HE TALKS?? Guys….so yeah!! Actually that also jogs my memory and clears up my own thoughts of how I first found you (again…??) my memory’s kinda bad if you couldn’t tell HAHAHA

Ok……Mira really trying to solidify the shower evidence…sus…/j

THATS WHAT IM SAYING HAHAHAAH ok but like I was a little surprised that they were the color scene I thought it would’ve been some Kaiser Isagi Rin looking thing with maybe mini side characters in the bg kinda like your current header! Stop did we just manifest ego glow up too??

That’s funny because I also haven’t watched but ik what you’re talking about because I remember seeing people freak out over it LMAOOO BUT FR omg shin ah so gorgeous??? Also omfg you’re so right??? The side by side of Hak and hair down zantetsu….the resemblance is uncanny….but FR S2 being my real male leads into the spotlight please….

Tbh I don’t have high hopes for the fandom but we’ll know in our hearts that Karasu is just a closeted sweetheart loser!!! Ok the Nagi cheater allegations and red flags are actually INSANE like how tf??????????? I seriously have no idea what people are on do you think bro even has the energy to cheat……

LMAOO you’re giving them a reality check on everyone’s behalf we thank you for your service o7

Honestly pop off LMAOO like who’s gonna go challenge your parents sooo also wtf????!!!! BRO DID WHAT???!!!! wtf I literally have no words what the helllllllll glad you’re safe now but omg I hope you never have to experience something like that again….um wdym you have more stories like that??????????? Idk if you’ve ever seen those wild tiktok sponsored posts of like this weird pheromone attractive perfume I think you need creep repellent you’re rizz is too strong…..wtf…..also ENJOY SWITZERLAND!!!!!

But omg another storm shshshs stay safe??? Manifesting your electricity holds up from now on HAHA I’d imagine there aren’t storms in Switzerland rn so….

-Karasu anon

LMAOO no i always get so distracted that ‘save draft’ button is my savior when it comes to answering asks but ik you can’t really do that when sending them 😭 if i ever take more than like a day to respond without explanation feel free to send a check-in ask because that means i’m either being unprecedented levels of offline or i just didn’t get it/see it!!

tumblr takes soo long to get a hang of i will be happy to answer any boomer questions of yours as i probably had the same questions when i first began using the app!! i will always be here for the reveal if/when it comes

i guess the side character vibes i give off are too strong…also hiori made a cameo in cherry tree alongside otoya and karasu so they might’ve made a similar journey as you LMAOAO especially because they mentioned in the request that they had read and liked cherry tree!! that’s so funny that that fic (which i wrote for the most basic character ever) is what led to side character fans finding me!! omg no because tbh there was no reason for karasu to be the one talking in that scene but i was starving and desperate to write him and i thought he could pull it off and now i’m so glad i did that!! and yeah a lot of people tend to only write for a few characters which i think is fair because i 100% get being uncomfortable writing for characters you’re unfamiliar with 🧐 me personally though…if i’m in a fandom there’s not a character in it I WON’T write for!! if i’m too unfamiliar with them i’ll just do research until i feel decent abt it (that’s what i did for the hiori request hehe read and reread his ln + wiki until i was like “okay i think i can do this”)

I SHOWER I PROMISE I SHOWER (not clickbait!!)

maybe this means the NEL arc is ending soon?? like they’re putting all of the coaches in the color spread because we won’t see them again for a while…honestly i really liked this (much more exciting than the last epinagi one) and i’m happy it wasn’t the kaiser + isagi + rin combo again!! all of the coaches are really interesting to me as they all show diff pitfalls of professionals sports (chris + vanity, snuffy + depression/burnout, loki + selfishness, lavinho + immaturity iirc?? and noa + being boring af /j) honestly i could read a spinoff abt all of them too!! and omg ego glow up too…we sensed the vibes in the air and we knew egonation was about to RISE

SHINAH MY BELOVEDDD omg i actually once started a fic for him that was the precursor for hurricanes / hummingbirds in many ways and i still think abt it sometimes but like the fandom for yotd is so nonexistent that i never got the motivation to finish it!! but i think i answered an ask abt it as part of a tag game once here if you’re in the mood for some mira writing while waiting for bfb!! no but the resemblance between zantetsu and hak is uncanny omg team v trio is actually team shoujo trio all of them look like they deserve to be male leads…zantetsu in a historical fantasy shoujo, nagi in a high school slice of life but also mental health focused shoujo, and reo in a ceo romance shoujo SKDJFHS they’re all so bf i love them

we will always know the truth abt karasu and that’s what matters 😩 no because i need to know…do the nagi cheater/red flag (which are unrelated to his laziness) allegations stem from him “leaving” reo during second selection?? because if so that’s insane to me there’s such a difference between joining a different soccer team and cheating on your romantic partner 😭 in epinagi even reo himself acknowledges that he SHOULD be happy for nagi and nagi is so ‘no thoughts head empty’ about it LKDFJGNS bro fr was putting the pieces together like isagi…”play soccer with isagi -> get better at soccer -> win world cup with reo 😄” HOW IS THIS A RED FLAG???

LMAOOO it’s so bad i feel like looking back my time in high school just sounds unreal?? i sent a picture of my eye to another guy i was friends with (in the same friend group as the other two ironically) to show him my new mascara and no joke he responded with an entire verse comparing my eyes to “the heavens” 😭⁉️ and there was also a point in my senior year when i kinda liked a junior on the soccer team (so bfb reader of me but like. reversed.) but for some reason everyone shipped me with the captain of the soccer team?? like people would harass my FRIENDS asking if i liked him…meanwhile i liked mr junior varsity who didn’t even get playtime 😓 it was so bad too i went to a soccer game and everyone thought i was attending to watch the captain, INCLUDING THE GUY I WAS INTO 😐 i went up to congratulate him after the game and bro fr said “did you see the captain play he was amazing” i just left at that point because what can you even do…these are relatively tame in terms of mira lore sadly KJSHGHDFK this is why i have never had a boyfriend or first kiss or anything like that 💔 they’re all CRAZY 😱

SWITZERLAND SOON!! unfortunately my dreams of finishing bfb before my flight are definitely not coming true sooo ig i know what i’m doing for the entire plane ride!! hopefully the lack of distractions will help me finish it up and then i can just proofread in my downtime and hopefully post at some point soon…feel like i’ve been teasing you all for so long but i promise it will be long enough to make the wait worth it (i hope anyways)

[astaroth1357]

Hello I really love your writing. I’m glad that you decided to open requests for a bit. I have a personal headcanon that the boys are a lot nicer to MC then they are to everyone else. Could you do a headcanon of the boys being out with MC and they are talking with MC happily. Then a lesser demon sees them with MC and says that the seven brothers have gone weak and they aren’t scared of them anymore. Thank you again!!! 😖 (Also the way you write Levi is great)

Aww thank you!! Levi's kind of my favorite character (if that hasn't become painfully obvious) so I try to write him well, you know? This one was a little hard for me to write because I just have a hard time imagining Asmo and Beel as something intimidating to the masses, but I tried my best! I hope you like it!

Lesser Demons Think the Brothers have "Gone Soft…"

Lucifer

If anybody had something to lose by acting sweet on a lowly human, it was Lucifer. His entire image was built on the back of power and intimidation, so really who didn't see this coming?

He knew there were whispers… Mostly in the RAD hallways. Students would see him with the MC and gossip amongst themselves… 

"Did you see them together again in the courtyard?"

"How did some random human even score a pact with him??"

"And I used to seriously look up to him, too…"

He'd always silence their chitchat with a well placed glare, but this was a symptom of something more… troubling. A decay of his social image if you will.

Perhaps it speaks to how well and truly enamored he was with the MC that this proud creature didn't just dump them the second he started looking bad, but still… a part of him really couldn't stand for this...

So maybe it was a blessing in disguise when he finally got an excuse to establish his superiority yet again!

He and the MC were walking the halls of RAD after school hours and they had just made an amusing joke at the expense of of his brothers. Unfortunately, Lucifer collided into a lesser demon student while he was laughing…

On most occasions, he would have expected someone of such station to pay him deference then offer an apology - they had just ran into Lucifer after all - but the student just scoffed at him!

Lesser Demon: "Oi! Watch where you're going, Lucifer! Or were you too busy sucking up to that human to notice?"

This… was maybe not the best response to have (if the "Oh shit" look on the MC's face was any indication) but for as annoyed as Lucifer was, he was also somewhat delighted.

Finally, he had the perfect messenger for just how cruel he could still be!

Lucifer: "MC, feel free to go home without me for now and tell my brothers to save my dinner for later…" *starts pulling out his favorite rope with a cold, but pleased, smile on his face* "I have a feeling I'll be home late tonight..."

The MC left him and his unfortunate victim to their fate and Lucifer later came home in the night with his uniform in a bad need of cleaning...

A new body decorated the RAD entrance hall the next morning - swinging from the ceiling and making an awful mess on the floor - but still alive enough give a very important message to the rest of the students:

"Lucifer hasn't changed a bit…"

Mammon

So, not even lesser demons see Mammon as some kind of high-ranking badass… 

Just to be clear, he is, but it’s hard for him to come off that way when he's begging for his next Grimm... Then enter MC into the picture and he somehow lost even MORE cred.

"There goes poor Mammon… Did you hear he got tricked into a pact?"

"Just look at him nipping at the human's heels! How pathetic is that??"

"Well that's Mammon for you… What a shit excuse for a demon."

Like Lucifer, Mammon wasn’t immune to the whispers, but unlike his brother he was able to push them mostly out of his mind. People look down on him? Yeah, what else is new?

To be honest, he didn’t really feel the need to prove anything to a bunch of lesser demon losers… But insulting his MC takes things a step too far.

He and the MC were out at the Devil's Coast, "enjoying" some of the haunted house attractions and generally having a good time…ish. 

Any time they managed to make it out of one, the MC would have to peel Mammon off their back and hold him to assure him they were back to safety (a process he seemed to like enough to repeat the horror that precedes it).

It was during one of these calm down sessions that the two were accosted by a couple of snickering lesser demons, clearly looking for a fight…

Lesser Demon 1: "Hey look! There's the 'Great' Mammon and his little master!"

Lesser Demon 2: "Guess the master fits the demon… Of course someone like Mammon couldn't even score a pact with Solomon and gets stuck with the weakling!"

Lesser Demon 1: "Well how's the babysitting going, Mams? I bet you can't wait for them to kill over, can ya?"

Lesser Demon 2: "Careful! With his luck, they'll probably get eaten by the end of next week! Haha!!"

Now… an important thing to know about Mammon is that you can fling all the mud and stones you'd like at him… but never at his MC. That's just asking for a bruising...

Mammon: *smiling like usual, but his eyes are practically burning with rage...* "Yo, MC… I'm gettin' a little hungry. Can ya go find us a snack over there? I'll meet ya in a bit…"

MC: "Mammon, are you-?"

Mammon: "Don’t worry 'bout me, babe." *takes his glasses off and flashes a fanged grin* "This is'a piece of cake."

And indeed, it wasn't difficult at all. No matter how fast those demons ran, they could never out speed Mammon and he was looking to give more than a warning…

The MC didn't know what he did while they were waiting in line, but they heard the sounds of pleading go silent before Mammon turned back up with a nice bruise on his cheek. Oh, how they fretted and dotted on him…

Meanwhile, the haunted houses just earned themselves a couple new mannequins!… when rigor sets in anyway.

Leviathan 

Levi has a… mixed reputation in the Devildom to start with. People who only know him for his titles usually expect him to be some kind of sea-hardened badass. Those who meet him are… well let's say less than impressed.

This isn't anything new to Levi. It does take a blow to his confidence sometimes but even still most people aren't dumb enough to say something to his face… most people.

Unfortunately, "most people" have been getting bolder after seeing him with MC - because Demon Lord forbid Leviathan actually look happy for a change…

He and the MC were out and about for once. There was a raffle for exclusive merch at Anidaemon and he brought them along to boost his chances. They were grinning and chatting about anime but well…

The human couldn’t hear this, but he could - sensitive demon ears and all that. There were a couple guys who were tailing him… heckling him just loud enough that he was CERTAIN they knew he could hear them...

Lesser Demon 1: "Is that seriously Leviathan hanging out with a human? Isn’t he an Admiral??"

Lesser Demon 2: "Ha! The whole family's turned into simps, are you that surprised?"

Lesser Demon 1: "Wonder what the human's giving them that's got them all brainwashed…"

Lesser Demon 2: "Well... I've got an idea." 😏

If there were ever a reason for bile to fill his throat, it was now. He might be a shut-in, but those guys were the real creeps…

To be honest, Levi isn't one for public confrontation. Even with how gross and disrespectful those demons were being, he would have let it slide if they had just left it at that… but no…

He and the MC were browsing the ani-music racks in the store when those idiots popped up again. They hovered a while until they MC suddenly left his side to go find a store clerk.

When he saw the other demons move their direction, he naturally put himself between them and the would-be harassers. It was a little telling that despite his ticked off expression, the demons just laughed in his face!

Lesser Demon 2: "Hey look, the puppy's come out to protect its owner! How cute!"

Lesser Demon 1: "I can't believe you're that predictable, Levi… Do you really think we'd be scared of you?"

Well. That settled it.

When the MC came back, they found that Levi had moved from the music racks to the merch tables near the bathrooms. They didn't think anything of it… but...

One body was paralyzed by his venom and stuffed head first in a toilet while the other getting strangled by his tail just underneath the tablecloth… Meanwhile, Levi was cheerfully rambling about the raffle like nothing was happening at all.

Maybe they should have been a little more scared of the shut-in...

Satan

This may actually be a case where the rumors have a point… The MC has made Satan "soft."

Well, if "soft" means actually in control of himself, anyway. 

Satan would probably call their effect on him both a blessing and a curse. Though he loved finally having a handle on his inner rage, it flew in the face of a lot of his public image… and people were starting to notice….

"Do you think there's something off about Satan…?"

"I saw the human step on his toes earlier and he didn't even flinch…! The old Satan would have torn them apart!!"

"He's gotten way too nice all of sudden… Wrath shouldn't be nice."

Was it a little frustrating? Certainly. Especially for someone as image conscious as him. But for as calm as he was now, Satan wasn’t any less cruel and he'd be more than happy to remind others of that fact….

His chance came when he and the MC were together having just left the local art gallery. The two were exchanging a healthy dialogue about a curious sculpture they saw on display when a latte suddenly went soaring through the air and ended up all over Satan's sweater… The culprit was plain to see, being the only other demon on the road that night.

Whether the act was intentional or not, the correct course of action would have been to apologize immediately and beg for mercy forgiveness… but all the demon did was laugh in his face…

Maybe he thought that since Satan had mellowed out and his human was right beside him that he'd be lenient… Oh no. Not gonna happen.

Satan's fist slammed into the guy's mouth with the force of a jetliner and knocked him over two benches before his back bent over a lamppost… To say it was a KO move would be an understatement.

He probably could have done a whole lot worse to the guy while he was down, but you know… the MC being there and "self-control" and what not…

The demon survived (barely) and only had to spend a few months in the hospital, if anything he got off light.

Not a soul would gloss over Satan's temper again and really he preferred it that way.

Asmodeus 

Well, to be fair not a lot of people thought that Asmo was tough to start with… but that's also his intention.

"Scary" is the opposite of "cute" and he prefers to be "cute" at all times! 😊

Buuut that doesn’t mean this scorpion is without a stinger. He CAN be quite brutal when he wants to be, you just have to push him that far and trashing his looks is a good way to start.

Asmo was out with the MC getting his hair done for the week at his favorite salon. They weren't the only people there that day, obviously. There were other customers - one being a lesser demon classmate of theirs - though neither he nor the MC thought much of him at the time...

Well… It was supposed to be a prank. Probably something the guy intended to use for social media clout. While the staff was too busy to notice, he snuck by and replaced Asmo's preferred conditioner with pink hair dye…

Asmo. Was. Furious. And honestly, the dude could have gotten away with it if he hadn't been laughing and recording the whole thing!

When Asmo's ire naturally fell onto him, he hardly looked fazed!

Lesser Demon: "Ah, please! You won't do shit to me with the human still around! You don't want to look any uglier to them do ya?"

Asmo: *freezes, but still furiously eyeing every sharp instrument within arm’s reach* "MC? Darling?"

MC: "Got it..."

Perhaps the prankster should have kept his mouth shut, because suddenly the MC needed to take a looong bathroom break…

They didn't come back out until they heard the sounds of screeching and broken glass finally die down and then they stepped back into a warzone… Broken mirrors and items seemingly flung everywhere in a fit of rage! The guy (and his phone) now nowhere to be seen…

The salon comped Asmo for the botched hair job and touch up… and then billed Lucifer for the property damage (which he got an earful about later). On the bright side though, Asmo actually looks pretty great with pink hair! Silver-linings. 🙂

Beelzebub 

… The concept of Beel "going soft" is almost an oxymoron. He IS soft, but his personality was never what made him intimidating to start with.

Behind all his kindness, Beel packs more firepower than at least 4 for his siblings combined and most people remember that fact. Hell, the guy looks like he could lift a semi and he probably would if he ever tried. 

However, that doesn’t save him from being underestimated completely... Especially when an upstart or two thinks he's too nice to actually start a fight...

He and the MC were coming back from the grocery store with the usual armfuls of sacks when the MC accidentally walked into a lesser demon on the street. Since their arms were full, several items spilled out from the bags and onto the ground…

The MC was quick to apologize to the demon and try to get down to clean the mess, but the asshole just kept walking… and Beel really didn't like that.

Beel: "Hey! Aren't you going to say, 'Sorry?'"

The lesser demon hardly looked over his shoulder to respond.

Lesser Demon: "Why should I? That's your human. Take care of them yourself."

Well it didn't take long for some of Beel's bags to hit the floor so he could lift the demon up by the back of the neck properly. When he turned the guy to face him, he made sure to bring his face reeaal close so he could hear him growl...

Beel: "Apologize. Or I'll eat you."

And like that, the asshole's mood went from "Do it yourself," to "Yessir Mr. Beelzebub, sir!" right quick!

The MC didn't have to carry a single bag another step and Beel got to keep his free hand so he could link it with theirs!... all while Beel kept mushing their new pack-mule forward like a sled dog back to the House. Thanks, Beel! 😊

Belphegor 

Kind of similar to Asmo, Belphie prefers to come off as unassuming on most days. But don't let his, "I'm a harmless sleepy boy" shtick fool you. He will cut a bitch if he's so motivated...

Thankfully for the world, he's generally not motivated. But that can be changed under the right circumstances...

Belphie and the MC were on yet another date to the botanical gardens. It's a peaceful place, though the MC can never go alone because of the frankly concerning amount of flesh-eating plants… Pretty, but also deadly, you know?

The two of them were walking to another rest spot when Belphie heard whispering from a demon behind them, seemingly on his phone…

Lesser Demon: “Yeah, I can see them right now…”

Lesser Demon: “I know right? It's so lame that these guys are in charge of us… They can't even say no to a dumb human!”

Lesser Demon: “What do you mean keep my voice down? Dude, it's fine! This is Belphegor we're talking about, the hell is he going to do if he hears me?”

… Huh.

The answer to the man's question was a simple one. Flash into his demon form for just a moment and whip out his tail... It only took a quick swipe to make him trip and fall right into the foliage. The man-eating… carnivorous… hungry… foliage….

Belphie was back to normal by the time the jerk let out his first scream and the MC almost stopped to see what had happened.

MC: "What the-oh my God!! Should we help-??”

Belphie: *puts his hands on their shoulders to keep them moving, not even glancing back* “Someone else will take care of it. Let's see the roses.”

Even when the desperate cries for help became distant, it took all Belphie had to stifle a smile…

Sometimes, you've got to love irony. 🤷‍♀️😏

[hops-hunny]

Oops

Pairing: Ron x Reader

Pronouns: He/Him

Word Count: 2.2k

Request: anon w/ “HI FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 300! YOU DESERVE IT SO MUCH. can I request a ron x male reader for your celebration please? (maybe where the twins play a prank on ron putting verasitasium in his drink and that leads him confessing to the reader? you can totally ignore the idea tho, friends to lovers maybe? With prompt: “Haha, just kidding! Unless?” “maybe add the prompts: “He can bust me open like a can of biscuits.” “You can count on me to get on my knees for you.” ”

Summary: Who knew fizzy drinks could create steamy conversations?

Warnings: fluff, mentions of underage drinking (one line), and 2 sexual jokes.

A/N: I changed up the idea a bit but not too much! Hope you enjoy anon

24."You can count on me to get on my knees for you."

41.“He could bust me open like a can of biscuits.”

44.“Haha, just kidding! Unless?”

Ron wouldn’t admit it, but he was completely in love with his best friend (Y/n). The way the boy would subconsciously fix up Ron’s hair or clothes, the way he’d get whiny when he was tired, hell even his stupid jokes. (Y/n) had Ron ron eating right out of the palm of his hand. And if you knew Ron, this wasn’t something that was hard to tell. Everyone noticed the way the brutish boy would act whenever the boy was around. The way his voice would drop an octave, the way he’d speak a shit ton louder, even down to the way he always made sure he was the loudest one laughing at the (y/h/h) boy’s jokes. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together but for some reason it was for Ron.

Well it wasn’t that it was hard for him to admit it, he knew who he was and what he liked. It was more so hard for him to admit it to (Y/n) himself. Anytime he’d get even close to it, he’d end up changing what he was going to say last minute. It was like a tradition at this point. Even though Ron wouldn’t grow the balls and confess, he was still relatively jealous of the boy and who he hung around. He found himself getting upset or being short with him which didn’t last for long. (Y/n) was just too sweet. Even though the boy didn’t suspect that his friend's behavior was more than platonic, he’d still reassure him the same every time. Just like what was taking place currently.

Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Ginny, and (Y/n) all sat in the common room talking about anything they could wrap their minds around. However, (Y/n) and Ron were having their own conversation. (Y/n) reached a hand forward, tilting Ron’s face towards him. “It’s okay to be upset, Ron. But I just want you to know that I love you and nothing will ever change that.” he said as he gave him a soft smile. Ron choked a bit, clearing his throat as he looked away, face a bright crimson. He knew the boy’s words were strictly platonic but the flutter that took place in his heart didn’t care. “How bout we spend more time together? I know we’ve both been busy but I’ll never be too busy for you. You’re my best friend, my little ickle Ronniekins.” he teased, laughing as he picked at Ron’s cheek a bit. Ron rolled his eyes swatting his hand off his face, giving him the same dopey smile he always did. (Y/n) looked down at the watch on his wrist before he gasped. “Oh dear! I’m late for my study group. Me, you, common room this friday!” He said as he began to run off. “Don’t be late either! You usually are!”

Fred had a mischievous look on his face as he watched his lovesick brother make those same eyes he always did when the boy would take off. “You’re in deep aren’t you? When’s the last time you had a thought that wasn’t about (Y/n)?” he teased, poking his brother’s flaming cheek. Ron glared up at him angrily as he let out a scoff.

“Oh bugger off, will you? I’m not ‘in deep’. I just think he’s cute.” he pouted, crossing his arms defensively as he looked away from the group.

“Right, cause nothing screams ‘just find him cute’ like carrying his things to class, getting jealous when other people ask him out, and dropping any preexisting plans to hang out with him for even just 5 minutes. Do you realize how stupid you sound?” Ginny said, snickering some as she rolled her eyes at her thick headed brother.

“She’s got a point. Why don’t you just tell him? It’s very clear he feels the same way about you.” Harry said with a shrug.

“They’re right you know. I don’t know anyone else who would put up with your little fits of anger. If you got pissy with me like you did him I definitely would have punched you in the face by now.” George said, standing to sit on the other side of Ron. “Or maybe...you need some help from your big brothers?”

Ron felt his eyes widen in horror. Help from Fred and George never just meant help. Their version of help somehow always managed to be the exact opposite. If their ‘help’ and the actual meaning of the word help were countries, they’d be on different sides of the world. “No, absolutely not. Don’t say anything to him or I’ll tell mum.” Ron began to gather his things, heading off in the direction of his own dorm. As he got further away Fred and George gave each other a knowing smile.

“G-guys whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably not a good idea. I’m sure Ron will come around on his own time. Sure it may take him ages but just think of how proud of himself he’ll be when the time comes.” he spoke, trying to reason with the two. Fred stood up ruffling the mop of brown on top of Harry’s head.

“Oh don’t worry, golden boy. Ron told us not to say anything and we won’t.” he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

“However just because we can’t say anything doesn’t mean he can’t either.” George stood up walking in the direction of Snape’s room. “Come on Freddie! We’ve gotta get a move on if we want everything to go to plan!”

As the two walked off, Ginny and Harry shared a look of confusion. Never in all the time they knew the two were they quick to give up just because someone asked them to. Harry’s eyes widened at the conversation that had just played out. What did they mean by ‘just because we can’t doesn’t mean he can’t either.’? ‘No it couldn’t be. That would be ridiculous!’ He had formed his own suspicions on what they had meant but only time could tell if he was correct.

-----------------------------------------------

As Friday came around, Ron found himself relieved that his brother’s had stuck to their word. All week he spent being on edge, skitting frantically around his identical buffoons. However, he was still nervous. On top of them not doing anything to jeopardize his friendship with the (h/c) haired boy, he hadn’t seen much of them at all. Wait, when was the last time he had seen them? He felt his heart racing at the revelation. He hadn’t seen them since Sunday of last week when they had the conversation that had been on his mind all week. He liked (Y/n), he liked him a lot. Was it such a ridiculous idea to believe that the (y/h/h) boy harbored feelings for him to?

He sighed, sitting down on the common room couch. He had arrived early- 45 minutes to be precise giving him a lot of time to think things through. It wasn’t  that Ron thought of himself as an awful person, it’s just that he saw (Y/n) as perfect. There wasn’t a single person in the castle that didn’t like him. He often gave up his free time to help the students in lower years with their work, cleaned up all 4 of the common rooms, and even offered professor Snape his time to help him clean out the cauldrons at the end of the day. He had a heart of gold paired with a face of diamond. How was he supposed to keep up with that?

“Hey there dear brother of ours!” George called out as the approached their younger brother. Ron rolled his eyes as he threw his head back in exasperation. “Listen, we wanted to help you out.” he started, looking over at Fred.

“Yeah we feel bad about the other day so we bought you these.” he said, tossing him two bottles of soda. He eyed it suspiciously looking at the label of the strawberry cream soda. (Y/n)’s favorite. “We thought you could use some drinks!”

“What’s the catch?” he questioned, setting them down on the table.

“The catch is there isn’t one! Maybe if you give it to (Y/n), it’ll show that those big ears of yours actually do listen.” George teased. Ron brought a hand to his ear, glaring at his brother. His ears weren’t big. “Well, it looks like he’s coming so we better run!” 

Ron looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, watching as the boy ran towards him with a large smile. He couldn’t help but smile back grunting when the boy threw himself in his arms. Ron blushed brightly, wrapping his arms around him to reciprocate the hug. “I missed you.” he mumbled into the taller boy’s chest. Ron cleared his throat, petting the top of the boys head.

“Missed you too, love. So, uh,” he pulled himself back from the boy’s embrace scooting away some. He didn’t seem to notice him deflate as he continued on, “What did you have planned?” he asked him. (Y/n) pondered it for a bit, humming as he bit his lip to think. The ginger boy couldn’t help to admire how cute he was, face upturned in concentration.

“I was thinking we could play the questions game! Whoever has the most fingers down by the end is the loser and has to do whatever the winner says!” He grinned before turning his attention to the objects on the table. His eyes lit up brightly at the sight of his favorite drink. “You remembered?” he said breathlessly, looking at his Gryffindor counterpart.

“Of course, how could I forget? It’s practically all you’ve drank since second year.” he chuckled some, as they opened their bottles in sync. They clinked their drinks together, linking pinkies. It was a tradition they had started, their own little version of a cheer. Ron grimaced some as he took a sip of the liquid, finding it was far sweeter than he remembered. ‘Strange. I just had some last week.’ he thought to himself before shrugging. It was probably just his imagination. 

“Okay, okay I’ll go first.” (Y/n) started. “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?” he asked. Ron most definitely didn’t wanna answer that. He went to put his finger down but realized his mouth was already moving.

“Last week when I was drunk I pissed my pants. When I tried to get out of them I ended up slipping in my own piss and instead of getting up I just laid there crying until Harry came to help me.” he said briskly. (Y/n) began to laugh. Ron covered his mouth. What was going on? He didn’t wanna say that to anyone let alone the guy he had feelings for! He’d get him back. “What’s on your mind right now?”

“You. I’d let you bust me open like a can of biscuits.” (Y/n) gasped when he was finished, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth. Ron stared back at him, his mouth agape. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard! But before he could dwell on it any longer, the same feeling as before came back.

“You can count on me to get on my knees for you.” he squeaked, jumping back from the boy. What was he doing?! He had to think quickly. “Haha! Just kidding.” he tried to play it off before he opened his gab again. “Unless?” well there was no saving it now. Both of them had completely revealed themselves to each other.

“Did we just-”

“I think we did.” they both sat in silence, replaying the conversation over and over in their  heads. They both jumped as they heard a pair of hands clapping combined with two sets of laughter. Ron whipped his head the other direction, spotting the two culprits.

“That was quite the show! I was expecting just a bit of an awkward confession from Ronniekins here but it seems like (Y/n) had a secret of his own!” Fred wheezed, standing in front of the pair.

“H-how? What was that? Tell me now!” Ron growled angrily, staring at the twins. Fred picked up a bottle of the soda swirling it around in his hand.

“I thought your soda would taste better with a little bit of veritasium in it. Totally slipped my mind what kind of effect it had on people. My fault dear brother of mine!” Fred cooed sarcastically, laughing as he sat the bottle back on the table. “Well, we’ll leave you two to it. For real this time.” the twins began to make their departure down the hall, fist bumping at their accomplishment. Ron stood up, checking the room to make sure they were actually gone this time before turning to (Y/n).

“Well, uh, since that just happened,” he looked away from the boy as another wave of heat made its way onto his cheeks, “Do you wanna go out with me maybe? I-I understand if-” he was cut short as his friend stood on the tip of his feet, placing a soft kiss on his own freckled cheek. (Y/n) wrapped his arms around the boy before looking up at him.

“I’d love to.”

[thelilxcfxiry]

So my theatre nerd and sylki obsessed brain has been drawing SO MANY connections between musical theatre songs and sylki so here, nobody asked for this but i dont care, a sylki musical theatre songs post type thing list? Enjoy (and feel free to add stuff if you happen to come up w any I'll be rly interested to see what you all think)

Also anything in square brackets [] is just me being me and adding some thoughts, not the actual lyrics HAHA

You Matter To Me (Waitress)

Dr Pomatter (Loki):

I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes

They've seen things you never quite say, but I hear

Come out of hiding I'm right here beside you

And I'll stay there as long as you'll let me

Because you matter to me [can you just imagine how SWEET because he already said he wants her to be okay its just ONE step away from saying you matter to me cmon]

Simple and plain and not much to ask from somebody

You matter to me

I promise you do, you

You matter too

I promise you do, you'll see

You matter to me

Jenna (Sylvie):

All of this time I've been keeping my mind on the running away

And for the first time, I think I'd consider the stay

You Shine (Carrie)

Tommy (Loki):

If you could see the way that you look to me

I bet that you'd be amazed at the sight

You'd see a heart that's fearless and true

From my point of view, oh you shine

I'm Not That Girl (Wicked)

Elphaba (Sylvie):

Hands touch, eyes meet [ahEm LAMENTIS]

Sudden silence, sudden heat

Hearts leap in a giddy whirl

He could be that boy

But I'm not that girl

Don't dream too far

Don't lose sight of who you are [patpat Sylvie]

Don't remember that rush of joy

He could be that boy

I'm not that girl

Ev'ry so often, we long to steal

To the land of what-might-have-been

But that doesn't soften the ache we feel

When reality sets back in

Don't wish, don't start

Wishing only wounds the heart

I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl

As Long As You're Mine (Wicked)

Fiyero (Loki):

Maybe I'm brainless

Maybe I'm wise

But you've got me seeing

Through different eyes

Somehow I've fallen

Under your spell [she couldn't enchant his mind but she sure enchanted his heart]

And somehow I'm feeling

It's up that I fell

Say there's no future [anTIS]

For us as a pair

And though I may know [and yeah i know they both sing this part in the song but i think it lines up more with loki than sylvie in this case]

I don't care

Just for this moment

As long as you're mine

Come be how you want to [i mean just the thought of him serenading her with any of these songs... He's already dedicated a song to her before 👀]

And see how bright we shine

Borrow the moonlight

Until it is through

And know I'll be here

Holding you

As long as you're mine

Suddenly, Seymour (Little Shop Of Horrors)

Audrey (Sylvie):

Nobody ever treated me kindly

Suddenly, Seymour is standing beside me [just substitute every seymour with loki even the syllables line up HAHA]

He don't give me orders, he don't condescend

Suddenly, Seymour is here to provide me

Sweet understanding, Seymour's my friend

Seymour (Loki):

Tell me this feeling lasts till forever

Tell me the bad times are clean washed away

Audrey (Sylvie):

Please understand that it's still strange and frightening

For losers like I've been it's so hard to say

Our Love Is God (Heathers)

J.D. (overprotective Loki/Sylvie [honestly i think it could go either way for this one]):

They made you cry

But that will end tonight

You are the only thing that's right

About this broken world

Go on and cry

But when the morning comes

We'll burn it down and then

We'll build the world again...

Our love is God

I was alone

I was a frozen lake

But then you melted me awake

See, now I'm crying too

You're not alone

BONUS

Omigod You Guys (Legally Blonde)

Me, looking at anything sylki:

Oh my god, oh my god you guys

If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies

Oh my god you guys!

Oh my god, this is happening

Our own homecoming queen and king

Oh my god you guys!

Elle [Sylvie] and Warner [Loki] were meant to be

They're just like that couple from Titanic! [This only gets better when you know Kate Soph and Tom watched Titanic]

Only no one dies [yes HWR is no one]

Oh my god, oh my god you guys

Let's go home before someone [me] cries

If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies

'Cause we [I] love you guys

[moving-wright-along]

bury me in your mind

this started as a sort of high school AU but it just turned into a whole nother beast. its a little over 4k words. i apologize in advance. Ticci Toby x a gender neutral reader warnings: mentions of violence and a fuckload of cursing. kinda angsy? but only towards the end

Toby hates high school and he hates every stupid fucker in the whole damn building.

The only exception to his burning hatred is you.

His English class is the only class that keeps Toby sane throughout the day, because it’s the class he gets to sit next to you. People naturally steer away from him once they notice the occasional twitches and jerks of his body, like their tiny brains have an alarm that goes off whenever they see anything that might not be ‘normal’. Toby decided a long time ago that it was probably for the best, and started to avoid everyone else as much as they avoided him. Yet on the first day, you sat beside him without being forced, and with plenty of other seats available.

At first he thinks you’re weird, but you don’t try to talk to him and you don’t flinch or lean away from him when he twitches, so you’re cool in his book.

Toby starts admiring you after about a week into the semester. He’s sitting in his seat, minding his own fucking business because he’s apparently one of the only people in this whole town that can, when some dumbass jock comes up and starts throwing out insults disguised as ‘friendly’ questions about his conditions. Toby immediately has to shove down the urge to sucker punch the idiot in the nose, but he promised his mom to try not to get into fights this year. And hell, he’s a mama's boy at heart still so he’s trying to indulge her. But goddamn is it hard.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” It takes a moment for Toby to register that you were the one that just spoke up.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than insult people over things they can’t control and be fucking annoying? Get a hobby.”

And- Wow, Toby really hopes he’s not as slack jawed as the other guy is, cause he looks like an idiot with his mouth open like that. The guy tries stuttering something out but it's drowned out by several people laughing and a few of the guy's so-called friends jeering him because 'damn dude, the quiet kid just owned your ass’. The teacher steps in and everyone quiets down, their attention thankfully taken off your corner of the room. 

Toby has the decency to stutter out a quiet 'thanks’ that you just shrug off. You instantly became way more than just 'cool’ in Toby’s book.

He wants to say so much more than thanks, like how you’re the first person to stand up for him besides his sister in a long time, and how pretty he thinks you are, but he keeps his stupid mouth shut and his head down. The two of you don’t talk again until a few days later. 

There’s a substitute teacher that day, but they’re clearly not very good at their job considering the class is way louder than usual. Toby grits his teeth and just tries to focus on his worksheet, resisting the urge to clap his hands over his ears. Every noise- every high pitched laugh, every pencil thrown across the room, every scrapping of chair legs on the floor- seems to send him further towards a total breakdown, every one of his senses completely overloaded. He jumps when he feels a soft poke on his arm. You hold out your other earbud to him. 

“Wanna listen?” You ask. He stares blankly for a moment, and he guesses that he waits too long to reply because after a moment you roll your eyes and hold out your hand a little further. 

“Come on man, I don’t bite unless I have to.” You smile a little, and it takes him a second to realize you’re joking. He’s quick to react after that. 

His heart pounds hard as he takes the earbud from you and jams it into his ear, trying not to think about your fingers brushing together for a split second. He spends the rest of class silently noting the titles and lyrics of songs on your playlist as they pass. He ends up listening to those same songs when he gets home, his mind replaying the encounter over and over. 

The two of you could almost be considered friends after that. You share your earbuds with him frequently, you lower your voice and whisper comments or jokes to him occasionally and he always has to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from snickering too loud. At first you only talk about assignments and whatever book your class is reading but soon you’re talking about all kinds of things.

Toby notices a lot of little things about you around this time. You sit a little closer to him than before since your earbuds don’t reach that far, and you spend more time zoning out and doodling in class than you do paying attention. You say you hate english but he’s starting to think you just say that to have something to complain about, because you’re not nearly as bad at it as you claim to be. 

Unbeknownst to Toby, you notice things about him too. He shies away when you get a little to close and his breath hitches when you poke at him or whisper to get his attention. Everyone seems weary or even scared of him but you quickly find out that he’s… kind of a dork. He likes to read and loves sci-fi and adventure stories and he blushes when you discover that he likes the occasional romance as well. He talks a lot when you get him going about a topic he enjoys and then gets bashful when he realizes just how long he was talking. He lives close to the woods and he loves being outside and has a strange amount of knowledge about the local flora and fauna. He apologizes too much and keeps his mouth shut tight when other people are around and his voice is naturally kind of soft even though he has a tendency to be louder than he thinks he is. 

You like him. He’s sweet. 

Toby still struggles with people in other classes and in the halls every-fucking-where else, but at the very least he has English with you. 

The year passes quickly. Toby gets you a Christmas gift after the holiday break is over- a pair of new earbuds because you had texted him complaining about your current ones giving out and you feel bad because you didn’t think to get him anything. You buy some random candy since you don’t know what he likes and give it to him the next day and even though you feel like an asshole for not giving him a real gift he smiles at you like it’s the best thing he’s ever received and you silently vow to get him something better for his birthday.. 

You buy him a box of Valentine's chocolates but chicken out before giving them to him so you just lie and say that you got them from your mom and you share the kind of gross candies in the back of class and try not to let the shame show on your face. He gives you a pink frog plushie with a messed up eye and claims he got it because he thought it would make you laugh and it does. You really wish you’d just given him the stupid box. 

You’re getting ready for bed a few days later when you get a text from him. You raise an eyebrow as you cross the room to your phone and look it over. 

‘Need to get out of the house for a while. I was gonna wander around in the woods like a dumb teenager, wanna come?’

You roll your eyes. You imagine that if you looked out the window right now you’d spot Toby outside your house already. Your friend knew you had a hard time saying no to him and abused his power to no end. 

'its a school night dummy.’

'and almost midnight’

‘Yeah… Anyway, how’s that science project that’s due tomorrow coming along for you?’

Shit. You totally forgot about that. 

'asshole’

‘Haha. You could always skip and finish it tomorrow.’

'ugh’ ‘you let me forget on purpose’

‘You have no proof of that.’ ‘I’ll buy you an energy drink and snacks?’

'open with that next time. omw’

At least you were right about him already waiting for you. Toby grins at you a little and you punch him in the arm lightly once you’ve successfully climbed out of your window. True to his word, Toby buys you a Monster and teases you about your flavor choices. 

“The original monster is fucking gross-” You say, scrunching your nose up at the very thought of it. 

“It’s- It’s not that bad! You’re j-just a baby.” Toby argues back as he wanders down the aisles, grabbing whatever snacks and candies catch his or your attention. 

“You’re not even supposed to drink Monster, loser.”

Toby shrugs, ducking his head and hiding his smile behind his hood. You wish he’d smile a bit more openly. 

Toby pays the gas station attendant for your haul and the two of you start walking in the same direction as his house, wandering past it and into the nearby woods. You’re a little freaked out walking around the dark woods at night, but Toby seems totally at home. Although, he practically grew up in these woods, so you suppose it’s only fair. 

“Why the fuck is it so cold? It’s spring.” You complain. You thought it’d be warmer and you’re practically freezing in your long sleeve shirt. 

“It’s barely March.” Toby retorts. 

“Whatever.”

“Wanna wear my jacket?” Toby offers, although he pales when you look up at him and he turns his gaze away. The dark hides his expression, but it’s pretty easy to tell that he’s embarrassed. 

“Sure.” You answer, trying to sound casual. Before you know it you’re wrapped up in his jacket. It’s already a bit too big on him cause he’s way skinnier than he should be so it hangs off your frame and covers your hands. It’s nice, though you try not to think too hard about how much you enjoy wearing it, or how it smells like that awful body spray he uses that you can’t seem to complain about.  

“You sure you’re not cold, though?” You ask.

“Eh. C-CIPA stuff makes feeling temperature we-weird anyway.” He shrugs. You forget sometimes that he doesn’t feel pain. The following silence is awkward and you’re still trying not to focus too much on the fact that giving someone your jacket is an inherently romantic gesture, so you decide to bully him a bit to take your mind off it.

“Where’d you even get this thing anyway? Who in the right mind sells a brown jacket with striped sleeves and a blue hood?” You ask and he snorts. You’ve made it clear before through teasing just how silly you find his jacket’s design to be. Toby rolls his eyes.

“W-Wasn’t always a blue hood. I fell out of a tree once and ripped the original h-hood on the w-way down. Lyra just took the hood off-off one of her old jackets and s-sewed it on.”

You roll your eyes and chuckle. He’s the only person you know that would have a story like that. 

The two of you wander around together and talk, and as you walk you wonder what his reaction would be if you just reached out and held his hand. Too bad you’re too much of a coward to try. 

As if on cue, Toby pauses in his tracks and reaches out to grab your sleeve. He tugs you gently in a different direction. 

“Come on. T-This way.” 

“Where’re we going?” You ask. 

Toby glances over his shoulder at you, and you notice a hint of a smile across his face. 

“There’s this o-old tower th-thing close by. I like hanging out there sometimes.” 

Toby leads you into a clearing, and you find yourself in front of a tall red tower. 

“What is this thing?” 

“D-Dunno. I guess it use-used to be a climbing wall or something.” 

You stare at some of the graffiti on the outer walls as Toby walks around to the other side. 

“Come on!” He calls. You follow him around to the back of the tower and find that one side is open, allowing access to the inside. Caution tape and trash litters the ground inside and Toby is halfway up a ladder to the top. 

“We’re climbing up…? This looks rickety as hell, man.” 

“It’s fine,” Toby assures, pausing at the top to turn and look down at you. “I’ve climbed this thing pl-plenty of times.” 

“I dunno…” 

“Come on. D-don’t be a baby, it’s fine.” He teases and makes himself comfortable on the top of the wall. 

“That’s exactly what the guy says to the girl before something really bad happens in a horror movie.” You argue, though you can’t fight back a smile as you climb up anyway. 

“We’re not in a ho-horror movie though.” Toby says, taking your hand and helping you sit beside him. You sit close to him and your sides press together. You feel a surge of pride when you remember that he used to shy away from you a lot when you first met, but now you can casually touch like this with no issue.

You open and share snacks together, and you let Toby take a sip of your drink to see if he likes the flavor or not. You watch him raise it to his mouth and your brain screams something at you about an indirect kiss and you quickly shove that thought aside and stomp on it.

Sure, Toby is cute and he’s a good friend, but you don’t like him like that. Definitely not. Would you kiss the crap out of his stupid adorable face if you knew it wouldn’t scare him off? Of course. But that doesn’t mean you have some kind of lame crush on him.

“Ca-Can I… tell you something?” He starts, seeming a bit bashful all of the sudden. Your heart kicks into overdrive. Oh fuck, okay, maybe you we’re lying about not having a little bit of a crush.

“Of course.” You say, trying not to let your voice waver. He hesitates.

“U-Uh. N-Nevermind, actually! Heh.”

You raise a brow.

“Oh come on, what was it?” You ask.

“Ju-just!” Toby looks a bit panicked as he fumbles. “Um. Just thinking about th-that book I’m reading. I think I already told you about it though. D-Did I tell you about the main character and his friend’s fight?”

Even if you didn’t know Toby that well, you’d still know he was lying. He’s a pretty bad liar. Your heart sinks a bit but you don’t push the subject.

“Oh, yeah you did.” You say, a little disappointed. Toby rambles for a few minutes about his book and conversation continues easily enough.

“Oh!” Toby jumps, and suddenly turns to you with a big smile. “M-My sister is coming over this weekend!”

“Lyra, right?”

“Y-Yeah. She’s coming to visit f-from college.” He says, and he looks really happy. “Y-you should come over and meet her. She’d l-love you.”

That sentiment makes you feel warm inside. Toby speaks very highly of his sister, so you really hope she likes you.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You say and Toby beams at you.

“You seem excited.” You smile and nudge him with your elbow.

“Y-yeah. She goes to school kind of far away, so it’s been a while sin-since I’ve seen her.” Toby looks away, his tone becoming a bit more serious. “F-for a long time I felt like Lyra w-was the only per-person who really cared about me… W-well. Until I met you.”

Your heart melts a little and you can’t resist letting your head thunk onto his shoulder. Toby stiffens, but makes no move to stop you.

“She sounds great, I can’t wait to meet her.”

Toby hums, and you sit together for a while longer until you realize it’s almost 3 am. You carefully climb back down the ladder, Toby following and you watch as he jumps down the last foot of ladder and lands on his feet with a soft thunk. You’re about to walk off before he catches your attention again. 

“Oh! I-I almost forgot,” He says, then starts examining the walls, as if looking for something. “H-Here it is.” 

You approach to see what he’s talking about, and you find a low section of wall with Toby’s name messily carved into it. 

“Wanna carve something too?” He asks. You hum an affirmative and Toby withdraws a small pocket knife from his jean pocket and hands it to you. 

“I’m not gonna question why you have a knife.” You say, chuckling tiredly as you knelt and began carefully carving. 

“F-For protection, obviously.” Toby says, his tone teasing. “One of u-us has to keep us safe. Since we’re in a horror movie now.” 

You roll your eyes and finish up your carving, moving aside so Toby could see it. You carved your own name underneath his, adding a plus sign between them. You watch him flush slightly, trying not to blush yourself. 

“Now everyone will know we were here together.” You say, justifying yourself as you passed his knife back. 

He walks you home and you reluctantly give his jacket back once you’re in your driveway. You’re about to climb back through your window when Toby speaks up.

“U-um…” He starts. You look back to see him rocking on his feet. He steps forward, and hesitates for a second before pulling you into a quick hug.

“T-thanks for hanging out with me. A-And-and for being my friend. Bye!”

Toby lets go and runs off before you can say anything back. You find yourself grinning from ear to ear as you slip into bed, quickly unlocking your phone and opening his contact.

'you’re welcome, loser <3’

You skip school the next day like Toby suggested, convincing your mom of a killer headache when she comes in to see why you’re not up. You imagine the eyebags from your lack of sleep help your case pretty well since she doesn’t make a fuss about it. You finish up some neglected work and waste the day away. It’s Friday, and you know Lyra is supposed to come into town today. You figure Toby will message you later about plans to meet up.

So you find it strange when you don’t hear from Toby at all that weekend. You feel a little down about it, but maybe Lyra just didn’t feel like hanging out, and he was probably busy with family stuff, so you don’t question it.

When he doesn’t show up to class on Monday, you figure he’s just spending more time with his family. Then, when two more days go by without seeing him or getting a text back, you worry that he got into a fight and got suspended or something. You’re properly freaking out by the time the week is up.

You’d only been to Toby’s house once before and that was only when all of his family was out of the house for the night. Other than that he was always kind of weird about you coming over. If you hung out outside of school it either had to be at your place or somewhere else. And now here you were, marching over to get an answer. 

You notice a car in the driveway and hesitate. You didn’t want to risk interacting with his dad. Toby never told you any specifics, but he seriously hated that guy. You look up at Toby’s window and notice a shadow move across the curtains. He’s in there. 

You don’t want to recreate a shitty teen movie and throw rocks at his window, and if texting him worked then you would’ve gotten an answer days ago. Using the railing of the porch, you haul yourself as quietly onto the roof outside his window as possible. Fuck, you really hope it’s him in there and not one of his parents or something. Gently, you knock on the glass. There’s no response for a minute, and you’re about to knock again when the curtains yank back and scare the shit out of you. You’re met with Toby’s shocked face on the other side, as if you both were equally startled by one another. 

“Uhh… Hi?” You say weakly. Toby struggles to yank the window up and drags you inside. You stumble into his bedroom and his hands grip your biceps hard. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He hisses. 

“I was worried about you!” You snap, keeping your voice as low as his. “You’ve been out all week and you never- replied…” 

Your anger completely melts away when you finally get a good look at the state he’s in. His arms and hands are bandaged up and his face is marred with little scratches and a nasty bruise beneath his eye. He raises an eyebrow like he has no idea why you’re looking at him like that. His breath hitches when you absentmindedly reach out and place a hand on his cheek, just below the bruise and rub a bit with your thumb. 

“What happened to you?” You ask, softly. Toby suddenly jumps back, like your touch burnt him. His arms wrap tight around his chest and he avoids your gaze and you try not to be hurt by that. 

“C-Car accident.” 

“You were in a fucking car accident?!” You whisper-scream. 

“I’m fine.” He insists. He doesn’t look fine to you at all. “S-Sorry I did-didn’t tell you. Ph-Phone’s been turned off for a few days…” 

He glances at his nightstand and you follow his gaze to his phone, connected to the charger but the front is completely shattered. He probably just didn’t want to look at it. 

Toby stays silent for a moment before speaking up again. 

“Are you mad at me?”

“What? No- God no, Tobes, I was just worried. It’s okay, really. I’m sorry I freaked out and climbed onto your roof and knocked on your window.” 

Toby finally grins a little at your remark, but it drops off his face quickly. 

“…You should go. I don’t want my parents to know you’re here.” Toby herds you towards the window, and you go without any struggle. All you wanted was to see that he was okay, and you supposed you got your answer. 

“Alright, alright, but you better text me later, okay?” 

Toby smiles a little again, but it looks forced. 

“Y-Yeah. I’ll try.” 

You head back home, and you don’t get any texts. You spend the next few days in silent frustration while you’re still ignored by your friend. Maybe something else happened that he’s not telling you about? Sure, a car accident is traumatizing, but he seemed more or less okay? There has to be some other reason he’s avoiding you. 

All it takes is a quick scroll through your local news site to find the obituary. Lyra Rogers. Your hands freeze on your laptop’s mouse in silent horror. Holy shit, his sister died in that crash. You’re suddenly overcome with sadness. Toby talked about Lyra a lot- about his cool older sister in college a few towns away who always looked out for him. You never got to meet her. Fuck, no wonder he’s been so distant. 

Every ounce of frustration leaves your body and you slump over. You just accept that you’re probably not going to see your friend anytime soon. You consider giving him your condolences, but you don’t want to risk bringing it up and hurting him more. Besides, Toby’s never been one to want people’s sympathy or pity. You suppose he’ll reach out when he’s ready.

The next few days are sporadic. You get an apology text from Toby and he updates you about his condition, though he’s vague and only mentions that he’s going to see a doctor. You don’t get much else. English class is boring without him. Toby goes completely silent again. 

You figure he just needs time to himself to heal, but you’re constantly worried about him in the back of your mind. One morning you’re passing through the living room while getting ready for school and you pause in front of the TV, your mother having left it on the news. Your heart stops mid beat in your chest. 

Brutally murdered… fire… missing…

You feel bile rise in your throat and you slap a hand over your mouth to stop yourself from being sick, backing away from the TV. Tears flow down your cheeks. There’s no way this is real, right? Toby wouldn’t do that. Your Toby wouldn’t do that. 

You quickly retreat to your room, ignoring your mother's shout from downstairs. You whip out your phone, foregoing your text messages and going straight to calling him. You need to hear from him, you need him to tell you that it was all a lie and that he was innocent. 

Your first call goes unanswered, but the second goes through after two rings. You gasp a little and listen hard for a moment. You think you can hear breathing, the distant crunching of leaves. 

“Toby?” You ask. The call ends immediately. The rest of your calls are unanswered. You resort to texts after a few minutes, hoping that he was at least reading them. 

You skip school the next few days- you don’t want to hear what anyone else has to say on the situation, no one knew Toby like you knew him, and you can’t guarantee that you won’t lunge at someone for bad mouthing him. Although, you never thought Toby would kill someone either, so maybe you didn’t know him that well after all. 

Your life feels like it's falling apart. You’re like a carnival ride violently swinging back and forth between the five stages of grief, jumping around like it’s fucking hopscotch. 

You push yourself out of bed that weekend in a strange rush of determination. You were just making yourself more miserable by sitting around and wallowing in bed all day, you’re driving yourself crazy like that. Pushing past the want to just lay down again, you get dressed and decide to go on a walk. Maybe fresh air will make you feel better. 

Without even trying, you somehow end up close to Toby’s house. For a second, you consider going up to the door and knocking, maybe talk to his mom a bit. You’ve never met her before, but Toby seemed fond of her. Maybe she’d let you, you don’t know, take one of his jackets to remember him by? Or was that way too weird? 

You realize with a sinking feeling that Connie Rogers lost her daughter, son, and husband within the short span of a few weeks. She most certainly has more important things to deal with than some kid showing up on her door and asking to rifle through her son’s stuff. Maybe you could talk to her sometime, but not now. You push past and walk into the woods behind their house, wandering around until you somehow end up at the tower you visited with him only a few days ago. 

You collapse into a heap and slump against the wall. The floodgates swing open and all your emotions come rushing out, and you let them. 

You scream and cry without having to worry about anyone hearing you. You sob uncontrollably for a few minutes, then you curse Toby’s name and yell at him for tricking you into being his friend- then your brain makes you imagine what his face would look like if you had said that to his face and then you’re just sad again. You shrink in on yourself, crying and saying that you didn’t mean it. You don’t know why you bother saying anything to him out loud anyway, it’s not like he can hear you. 

You wish he was dead, that they’d found a body after he escaped. At least then you’d know where he was. Then you could go to his grave and punch his headstone, or you could just sit there and talk as if everything was normal. But there’s no body, so there’s no grave. Knowing that he was likely alive out there somewhere is somehow more painful. 

“You stupid jerk.” You say between disgusting, hiccupping sobs. You wipe at your face with your sleeve, trying to calm yourself.

If only you knew he was hiding up in a tree, a measly few feet away at the edge of the clearing, clutching at his chest as if it would keep his heart from clawing its way out.

[angeloncewas]

People are so set on making Dream some kind of bad guy and it’s like…at this point I think YOURE more a problem than he is. Because his attitude in the past three MCCs (15, 16, and now 17) has been wonderful and even when he didn’t win he wasn’t a sore loser.

He’s allowed to be frustrated or feel like maybe he wants to sit a MCC or two out if he feels like that’s the right thing to do. He’s not demanding a total boycott he just made a comment and that’s not a bad thing. To be fair I honestly agree with his feelings.

People get so “anti-sweat” they forget that people are allowed to be bummed out when the game screws you over or you don’t do well. You’re allowed to express frustration or share critiques. Those aren’t inherently toxic behaviors and honestly I think Noxcrew isn’t too fond of people who like painting their hard work as, “haha MCC is supposed to be scuffed” because it’s not. They are real people who put in real effort and care about this stuff. As a creator myself I imagine they appreciate the critique and empathize with the frustration provided it’s expressed appropriately. Which in this case it is.

It's difficult because while I get why a lot of people are frustrated with him and his fanbase (though I think it's rather unfair to fully conflate the two) I also don't feel like people are willing to accurately judge a situation due to how infamous "Dream" is as a public figure. I know there's aspects to his character that might turn people off - I used to really not like him, believe it or not - but I can only laugh when I see some of the stuff people say about him. It's not about pretending I know him, it's about observable fact that they don't wanna see.

The MCC being scuffed thing I agree with SO much. Every time someone's like "y'all never would've survived mcm" it's... confusing? Because like yeah, sure, whatever - mcm was a shitty game made by shitty people. MCC isn't mcm and it doesn't want to be. It's a well-made game that the Noxcrew has put a ton of time and effort into. I'm not saying that Dream's criticisms prove that it's broken or something, I'm just saying that they themselves take this seriously.

[socialwriter]

A Midsummers To Remember

*Gif is not mine, credit to original post*

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Female Reader

Summary: In which JJ and the reader almost confront their feelings for each other

TW: Mentions of underage drinking

1K words

A/N: Ok so this is the first thing that I’ve ever written, and I don’t really know what I’m doing haha. But if you have any suggestions or requests feel free to message me :) Sorry if this sucks btw.

“Honestly Kie, I don’t even see the point in going with you to this stupid thing.” You mumble, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“The point is, that all the guys aren’t coming with me, and I don’t want to be all alone with a bunch of tipsy kooks. Besides, I think you look cute in your dress.” Kiara states, trying to give you the push that you needed to go to Midsummer with her.

You roll your eyes at her words, knowing that she was just trying to butter you up to get you out the door. To be honest though, you weren’t sure why you had said yes to going with her to begin with. Being around a bunch of kooks made you more than uncomfortable, and the off the shoulder dress that Kie had practically forced you into left little to the imagination. Despite spending countless hours with your best friend, Kie’s confidence hadn’t rubbed off on you very much. Unless you were hanging out with the pogues, you essentially kept to yourself, meaning that Midsummers would likely be a nightmare for you. You sighed, finally looking up at Kie, who was giving you a ‘you’re going whether you want to or not’ look. “Promise to stay with me the entire time?” You question, finally giving in.

Kie grins at you, nodding almost immediately. “Before we go though, no girl at Midsummers is complete without her very own flower crown,” she says, placing one atop your head. Catching a glance at yourself in the mirror, you do have to admit- you look good. The tone of the dress compliments your skin tone, and the flower crown really brings out the color of your eyes. “Y/n, babe, you look smokin’” Kie comments, making you laugh before heading out of her bedroom and to the event that you were now a little less nervous about.

--

You had to admit, Midsummers wasn’t as bad as you had thought it would be. While you had felt extremely uncomfortable at first infiltrating kook territory, sticking by Kie’s side made the event much more bearable, and the champagne in your system certainly helped. You’d even managed to hang out with Pope for a little while before his duties at the party pulled him away. 

“Hey, I’m going to go get us some more drinks. Kie told you. At the fear stricken look in your eyes at the thought of her leaving you alone for even just a minute, she chuckled slightly. “I’m only going right over there. Besides, it looks like JJ’s here so maybe you could just stick by him until I’m back.” She suggested, not giving you a second to answer before she left you all alone.

You brows furrowed at her last statement, looking around before JJ caught your eye.

He wasn’t expecting to see you there, as he couldn’t remember you, Kie, or anyone else telling him that you’d be attending. But as soon as he saw you, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. JJ thought that you looked radiant, the most beautiful he had ever seen you. You and JJ always seemed to have a flirtatious relationship, both of you toying with the idea of romance, but neither being brave enough to take that final step and make it official. But seeing you here, all alone, with the light hitting your hair just right and your dress flowing slightly in the breeze made him regret not having the balls to make you his before now.

You both approached each other, JJ uncharacteristically nervous, still slightly in a daze. You thought he looked quite cute, with his little suit and bowtie, an outfit you’d never seen him in before. “Looking good, J,” you muse, a grin slowly forming on your lips, “although I didn’t quite expect to see you here.”

JJ nods, swallowing thickly before a smirk begins to form on his own lips. “Thought I’d dress up and sneak in, maybe find a cute kook or two to spend the night with…” JJ replies, slowly getting back to his old self despite being mesmerized by the way you look tonight.

You can’t help the twinge of jealousy at his statement, playing it off with a roll of your eyes and lightly hitting his shoulder. “Well, if you really want to fit in with those losers, you’re going to have to straight up that bowtie mister,” you joke with him, moving to straighten his bowtie.

JJ laughs, shaking his head, but allows you to fix him up. “What would I do without you, y/n?” He questions. You glance up at him with a playful look in your eyes, “You’d never get a girl, that’s what would happen Maybank.”

Even though you’ve finished straightening his bowtie, your hands still linger on JJ’s chest and as an awkward silence begins to fall over the two of you, you both notice just how close the two of you really are. As JJ eyes your lips and you both slowly start to lean in, you hear Kie shout out for you, causing you to abruptly jump back from JJ, a blush dusting both of your cheeks as Kie approaches you both with a knowing look on her face. 

“I got you your drink y/n..” she states, handing you bottled water while glancing between you and JJ. 

You send her a tight lipped smile, thanking her quietly before JJ hastily says goodbye, leaving the both of you quickly. You had to admit, you were a little disappointed at that, not being able to discuss what just happened, but it seemed like Kie was all too eager to talk about what she had seen if the look on her face was anything to go by.

“I thought you told me that you and JJ was a completely platonic thing,” she questioned, a smirk never leaving her lips. You playfully glared at her, but knew deep down that she was right, and that you and JJ couldn’t postpone talking about your feelings forever. 

“Shut up.” You mumbled under your breath, but even as Kiara rolled her eyes at your embarrassed antics, you couldn’t keep your mind off of a certain blonde haired, blue eyed boy, and the almost kiss that had just occurred. 

[waitimcomingtoo]

Would you please write about Harrison and reader playing against each other in those bestfriend vs girlfriend quiz? Thank you! ❤️

Best Friend Vs. Girlfriend

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader x Harrison

Synopsis: you make a Best Friend Vs. Girlfriend challenge for your YouTube channel with Tom and Harrison

Masterlist

Requests are CLOSED

“Welcome back to my channel.” You waved at the camera with two hands as Tom and Harrison fidgeted and fixed their hair on either side of you.

“Hi.” Harrison said in a nasally voice.

“How are ya?” Tom mimicked his voice as they both made a circle with their hands. You realized they were imitating Jeffree Star and you let out a loud groan.

“This was a mistake.” You laughed at their antics right before Tom and Harrison kissed you on either cheek. You cut the video there and let your intro play. 

“Hi everyone! My name is Y/n L/n and today I’m joined by…” You gestured time Harrison, who looked deep in thought.

“Shouldn’t it be joined with? Like I’m joined with Harrison and Tom?” Harrison turned to you and asked. You made a face at him, asking why he decided to ask that in the middle of filming a YouTube video.

“No, it’s joined by because if you think about it-“ Tom started to give his opinion on the matter.

“AND JOINING ME TODAY,” you yelled above their bickering, “is Harrison Osterfield and my boyfriend, Tom Holland.”

“I think ‘my boyfriend Tom Holland’ should go first, personally.” Tom interjected, and you suddenly felt like a mother with her two troublesome kids.

“Tell you what, when I kill you both for making me upload a day late, you can go first? Sound good, Tom?” You asked sarcastically with a fake smile. Tom giggled at your threat and leaned into your side, making you laugh as well.

“God, when she threatens to kill you. Heart eyes.” Harrison said with sarcastic fawning.

“ANYWAYS”, you shot him a look that told him to zip it, “today, we’re going to be doing the best friend versus girlfriend challenge.”

“Because I’m Toms girlfriend.” Harrison nodded along. “Wait, you have to delete that, Y/n. The world doesn’t know yet.” He pretended to be panicked.

“They’re not ready to know.” Tom shot Harrison a fake flirty wink.

“Will you two behave? I don’t want to get demonetized for graphic content when this video shows me murdering the two of you while that guitar riff youtubers always use plays in the background.” You threatened again.

“That sounds like great content though.” Tom laughed and elbowed you while you gave the camera a death glare.

“Guys, give this video a thumbs up if you want Y/n to kill us on camera.” Harrison said to the camera with two thumbs up.

“Can we get started?” You asked them. “Please?”

“Yes, darling. I’m sorry.” Tom said sincerely as he gave your cheek a quick kiss. “What’s the first question?”

“I know what the first question is.” Harrison piped up. “Shouldn’t Tom be in the middle since we’re competing?”

“Haz, thats-“ ,you were about to scold him for interrupting again when you realized he was right, “a good idea. Tommy, switch with me.”

Tom got up and slid into your chair as you got into his.

“First question.” Tom smiled brightly at the camera once he was settled in his seat. “What is my middle name?”

“Stanley.” Haz blurted before you could say a word. “I get a point.” He looked at you with a boastful smile.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get used to it.” You waved off his win.

“Have I ever stolen anything?” Tom read the next question off his phone.

“No.” Harrison answered quickly.

“I don’t think I have.” Tom nodded. “Haz gets a point.”

“I was gonna say you stole my heart.” You twirled your hair around your finger and Harrison gave you a nasty look for playing dirty.

“Awww.” Tom gushed and smiled fondly at you. “Sorry Haz. Y/n gets a point.”

You stuck your tongue out at Harrison behind Toms back, who promptly gave you the finger.

“Next one.” Tom cleared his throat. “What is RDJ’s name in my phone?”

“Oh.” You jumped, feeling the answer on the tip of your tongue. “Isn’t is ‘Daddy’ or something?”

“Daddy?” Tom gasped and turned his entire body to look at you. “You think I have Robert Downey Junior in my phone as Daddy?”

“Yes?” Your voice came out as more of a question.

“It’s The Godfather.” Harrison practically screamed. “I’m winning.”

“For now.” You assured him. “Ask the next question, Tom.”

“What did I brush my teeth with that one time instead of toothpaste?” Tom asked.

“Oh, I know this!” You clapped your hands. “Hair gel. You brushed it with hair gel.”

“That’s right! Good job, baby.” Tom kissed your lips quickly before returning to his questions.

“So I don’t get kisses for right answers but she does?” Harrison joked, making you and Tom exchange a look.

“What was the name of the ballet studio I went to as a kid?” Tom ignored Harrison’s statement and asked the next question.

“Wasn’t it called Twinkle Toes or something?” Harrison answered with a confidence he shouldn’t have had.

“Twinkle Toes? You think my mum sent me to a studio called Twinkle Toes?” Tom asked, almost offended.

“It was called Nifty Feet but GOD I hope your fans start calling you Twinkle Toes.” You laughed and mentally gave yourself a point.

“Spider-Man Far From Home starring Tom ‘Twinkle Toes’ Holland. Coming to a theater near you.” Harrison said suavely as he winked at the camera.

“It’s out of the theaters now, but sure Haz.” Tom said sarcastically.

“Oh, shoot. What’s the new movie you’re in? Apple?” Harrison asked Tom.

“Cherry.” You corrected with a smile. “That’s another point for me.”

“I’m gonna pretend my best friend in the world didn’t just say I was in a movie called Apple and move on.” Tom said under his breath. “What book changed my life?”

“The Outsiders.” Harrison answered with a nod.

“Nope.” Tom shook his head. “Y/n?”

“Trick question. You don’t read.” You smiled to yourself for knowing the answer.

“You know me so well.” Toms eyes shone with pride at you.

“Haha. Suck on that, Haz.” You taunted Harrison mercilessly.

“How about you suck my-“ Harrison began.

“Next question.” Tom interrupted. “Have I ever been dumped?”

“You’re about to be if I don’t win.” You joked.

“Another point for Y/n.” Tom laughed as Harrison rolled his eyes. “Have I ever seen a ghost before?”

“Well Haz gets pretty pale in the winter. Does that count?” You asked innocently. Harrison looked ready to kill you.

“You’re so loud, Y/n. Did you know that?” Harrison dished it right back to you.

“Really? Your dad never complained.” You shrugged and Toms draw dropped.

“Children, please.” He said and gave the camera a pointed look.

“I feel like I’m being scolded by the principal.” You giggled, happy Tom was now the one feeling like the mother of two kids.

“Or my father.” Harrison added.

“Ugh. Daddy.” You sighed.

“I have heard Y/n say ‘daddy’ more times in this video than I have heard anyone say it all year.” Harrison commented on your behavior.

“Really? I hear it every night OHHHH.” Tom put his hand over his mouth and cheered himself on like a frat boy. You shook your head at the camera while Harrison looked a bit horrified.

“Do you want me to get demonetized? Is that your goal?” You looked at the boys for answers.

“Yes!” Harrison almost jumped out of his seat. “Was that the answer? Do I get a point? Was that a nod? I think I saw a nod.” Harrison said as he gave himself another point.

“Moving on.” Tom interjected. “What side of the bed do I sleep on?”

“I hate that I know this, but it’s the right.” Harrison answered before you could.

“Except if he’s had caffeine.” You cut in. “Then he sleeps on every side of the bed and I end up on the floor.”

“That happened one time.” Tom held up one finger.

“That happened three times, and one of them was last night.” You made sure your fans knew the truth.

“Tom and I once had a sleepover and I woke up with him underneath my pillow.” Harrison had his own story about Toms violent sleeping habits.

“Is this the attack Tom challenge?” Tom asked in defense. “Because I don’t think it is.”

“You tell me, Twinkle Toes.” Harrison slapped Tom on the back and you let out a laugh.

“Don’t laugh! It only encourages him.” Tom said to you.

“I’m sorry.” You said through giggles. “Come on. We’re almost done.”

“What is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done?” Tom read the last question from his phone.

“This video.” Harrison blurted and you nodded in agreement.

“Okay.” You laughed. “You deserved that point. You can have it.”

“Thank you it’s been a pleasure beating you today.” Harrison said poshly as you shook hands to signal the end of the challenge.

“Who won?” Tom asked as he looked between the two of you.

“I think it’s safe to say we are all losers.” You said. Harrison nodded in agreement.

“That’s all we have for you today. If you liked this video-“

“I can’t imagine you did.” Harrison cut in.

“-then be sure to give it a big thumbs up. If you want to see more of these two-“

“Of course they do.” Tom vogued for the camera and you swallowed thickly.

“-then hit subscribe down below. Thank you for watching and I’ll see you next time. Bye!” You kissed your hand and put it over the camera as the video faded to a black out.

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona @sunrise-shawn @meghan-8520xx @writing-for-hours-on-end @lavender-writer @captainmandeestudent17 @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @theolwebshooter @autumnlyholland @andreasworlsboring101 @guksmyfav @waiting-to-be-myself @letsloveimagines @ho-ho-holland @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @m19friend

[sou-ver-2-0]

First off, your shin analysis’ are AMAZING i can’t get over them and just your writing in general is so good,,you’re such a big inspiration,,,second, Shin for 25 pretty please <3

Thank you thank you!! I'm glad that I can inspire you, and I hope you'll keep writing too!

25) What other people wish they could change about them

I already answered 25 here, where I wrote about what Sara, Kanna, Keiji, and Original Sou would change about Shin. I picked those four because I think they have the most compelling relationships with him. Honestly, I'm proud of that answer, and I hope you enjoy it! 

I was going to leave things at that, and simply promise to keep writing Shin meta... But then I thought, why not keep going? After all, there are a lot more characters in YTTD and I love them all! So without further ado, let me take a crack at what everyone else wishes they could change about Shin:

Joe: Joe, our friendliest boy, says before his death that he can't see anyone in the group as a "bad guy," "not even Sou or Alice." So I'm sure that Joe would love to see Shin start making good choices instead of mean ones! Something to prove him right! Most of all, he'd want Shin to stop hurting his best friend Sara. And maybe actually help Sara instead? Since Joe loved Sara, but he can't speak to her anymore, now when Sara needs him most...

Q-taro: Q-Taro, who suffered through the distinction of being used by Shin, probably wishes that Shin would stop treating people like objects and start treating them like people. Q-Taro has to learn this lesson himself in the story! The experience of being used by Shin must have helped to soften Q-Taro's heart towards the other vulnerable characters; he realized he wasn't so different from them. So even though Q-Taro might harbor some resentment towards Shin, I think he would still be sympathetic and believe in Shin's capacity for change.

Reko: Reko just wants to punch Sou SMACK in the nose! Maybe it won't change anything, but it would make her feel better! 

Haha okay but seriously, Reko has a harsh but ultimately forgiving personality. She would have wanted to help Shin heal, just like she secretly wanted to help her brother heal. So long as he apologizes, I bet Reko would've been a good friend to Shin, just like she's a good friend to Sara! She'd have been kind to a redemptive Shin, without putting up with any of his bullshit. And she'd definitely fix whatever loser taste in music he has.

Alice: Surprisingly, Alice is the party member with the most patience for Shin's antics! He's often willing to give Shin the benefit of the doubt. He even distrusted Sara in the beginning, much like Shin. It's not like they're close allies, but Alice's patience for Shin was always striking to me. Personally, I think Alice intuitively understood that Shin was an underdog while Sara was somehow privileged. As a prisoner, it's natural for him to connect to the most disadvantaged. 

Alice would wish for nothing more than for Shin to atone. And he'd probably help him do it, right by his side.

Nao: I bet Nao mostly wants Shin to stop acting so scary, since she's easily frightened. But I think she definitely believes that he can change for the better. Nao begins to believe in Shin in Chapter 2, when they team up and develop a cunning plan to defeat the Rogue Mishima AI. Given that Shin's personality before the Death Game seemed kind and timid, it's likely that Nao and Shin would have things in common! Nao would wish to know that side of him better.

Gin: Like Nao, Gin wishes the Loner would stop scaring everyone! Even though Gin says that he hates Shin, Gin is also a good kid who doesn't want any harm to come to the man. If Shin stopped lying and started acting kind, Gin would probably still tease him, but I bet he'd also be affectionate of him. Gin is immature but still friendly and a big sweetheart.  

Kai: Oh Kai, the poor victim of Shin's scheme to draw out the Sage for slaughter! At the end of his life, Kai is terrified of Shin. He calls him a "dangerous man" and asks that everyone vote for Shin instead of himself. It's hard for me to imagine what specific things Kai would want to change about Shin, when what he really wanted was to switch places with him. Kai desperately wished to be only the second-highest vote-getter, rather than the first...

What if they somehow met under better circumstances? (Such as in Nankidai's ongoing summer festival comic, where Kai is protective of Shin!) Well, Kai is a lonely, secretive man himself, so he could relate to Shin's struggle. He'd probably wish Shin well in figuring out how to open his heart to others, while acknowledging that it's a hard thing to do.

Mishima: LET'S DO PUSH-UPS, SHIN! LET'S TRAIN HOW TO RUN FOR A MARATHON TOGETHER! COME ON, IT'LL BE FUN!

Sue Miley: Sue Miley already finds Mr. Zero Percent's antics to be incredibly entertaining, just the way he is! Please keep insisting you're Sou, won't you? Maybe it will help you survive! Who can say??

Gashu Satou: Gashu wishes someone would take his son's laptop away from that meddling brat. His hacking is just going to make everything more difficult, isn't it? And then Gashu's going to have to clean up the mess himself, isn't he? Isn't he?! It's not like Sue Miley is going to bother helping him! Nooo, Gashu has to do everything himself around here...

Tia Safalin: Tia Safalin sees how much Sou is suffering in the wake of Kanna's death, and she wishes she could take away his pain. She could take all those awful memories away from him. Only the bad memories, you understand. He'd forget using Kanna, forget hurting Kanna, forget the unbearable agony of losing Kanna, but the good memories would remain! She would fix Sou so he could finally be happy. Isn't that what you all want for him?

Rio Ranger: The stinky human needs a bath.

[dreamiehrs]

nct dream and what games they would play on Roblox

I think I’m pretty certified to say this bc I have been playing Roblox with my lovely friend every morning for almost a week or 2 straight so... yeah. also, someone has probably done this before and I just wanted to say that this is my own original ideas and thoughts about what games they would play in Roblox :) anyways, let’s get into it losers.

[also, big thanks to my amazing wonderful good friend ren aka @dreamzenct​ for making this adorable header for me!! love u lots also u guys need to check out her blog she is... amazing at writing <3 mwah :D]

mark lee ↬ story game and/or silent assassin

yes, I can see mark playing some dumb ass story game like cruise, vacation, break in, etc.

him and jaem would just spend hours mocking how silly the story games can be sometimes, and even though they criticize the games sometimes, they can’t help but to feel drawn to how silly they were LMAO

would get upset when he would die from something ridiculous in the game... also calling it now that mark is also terrible at parkour. idk I just... feel like he would mess up the momentum of jumping onto stuff or would cut the jump short.

jaemin would literally just laugh at how bad mark is. “mark... I hate to say it, but you utterly SUCK at video games. you’re even worse when you play fps games.”

“yah jaemin... u don’t want me to buy you dinner tonight?”

yeah that gets jaemin to shut up right away LMAOO.

going onto why he would play silent assassin... yeah hyuck would force him to play this wbk this would happen eventually.

would be a not so great assassin at first, but I feel like after a few hours of playing, he would get the hang of it. however, whenever he would be the target he would be killed RIGHT AWAY by whoever the assassin is... in conclusion: mark has no idea what he’s doing most of the time while playing that game SAHDJSADJASHJ

hyuck would troll him so hard about it, too, saying stuff like: “omg learn the controls next time!!” “man, you absolutely suck at getting the briefcases like??? THEY’RE MARKED FOR U DUMBO! HAHA, GET IT? UR NAME IS MARK AND I JUST SAID MARKED- okay I’ll stop now.”

yeah mark would def just end up banning hyuck after he trolls him 500 times and goes back to playing cute but silly story games with jaem.

huang renjun ↬ murder mystery

yes I am still on my renjun detective agenda bullshit!!!!

but honestly I can see renjun rocking everyone’s shit when he’s the guard and absolutely OBLITERATES the murderer.

would probably get angry when he yells at everyone else that the murder is in a room somewhere and no one ends up listening to him.

“GUYS HE’S IN THE GUARD OFFICE!!!” also yes he types in all caps at all times this is renjun we’re talking about here.

then he would end up getting killed by the murderer and would spectate everyone and just yells in chat about how stupid everyone was being.

“GUYS I SAID HE’S IN THE GUARD OFFICE!!! TF ARE U GUYS STUPID???”

also he would be a part of the troll trio containing him, hyuck, and lele. these 3 would be UNSTOPPABLE trolls on roblox and just any games they played on roblox in general.

he would get frustrated when hyuck would just run around him in murder mystery and end up distracting him as he tries to figure out where the murderer is. chenle would just shoot blindly and would end up running off somewhere alone to get killed by the murderer himself.

and yes, he would get on the other players for being terrible murderers and not having any technique for killing ppl on the game. “you guys suck!! do you guys even have a certain technique/strategy on how to kill ppl without getting caught on this game?!”

chenle and hyuck would just laugh their asses off on how serious renjun was about this game like... chill man it’s not that deep LMAO.

I can even see the younger members just pissing him off and teasing him so that eventually renjun just rage quits AHJDDHJAS. chenle would end up just screaming in renjun’s ear and renjun would slam his fist down on the desk in front of him and would just LEAP at chenle irl.

the other members wouldn’t be concerned when they hear a crash come from renjun’s room. they were used to hearing stuff like that from renjun’s room as he’ll occasionally want to just wrestle someone (mainly hyuck or chenle).

but yes, wbk that renjun would EXCEL at murder mystery and just mystery games in general in roblox.

lee jeno ↬ adventure games and/or flee the facility

I feel like jeno would love adventure games so much like??? idk he just seems to be into that type of stuff.

I don’t see him as a rage quitter tbh? like I feel like he’d be so chill with everything going on that he wouldn’t get as angry as renjun does while gaming LMAO

he would just listen to some chill lofi music and just finish quests left and right in his own little world. I can see hyuck just being a little meanie head and creeping up on jeno without him knowing, and yes, jeno would almost spill all of his water onto his laptop when donghyuck does so.

however.... I can TOTALLY see him playing flee the facility with the rest of the dreamies. I feel like he’d especially play it with jaemin bc the 2 of them would be RELENTLESS when they become the beast omg LMAOO

jeno would be all giggly just having a good time and then BOOM jaemin destroys him with his hammer and just drags jeno to one of his freezing capsules LMAOO

jaemin would just be like “jeno~? where are you~?” all creepy like and jeno would just be in a room somewhere using his AMAZING hacking skills to escape (yeah no he messes up at hacking a lot... SAHJDSADJ)

meanwhile, jeno as the beast would act all scary but it wouldn’t intimidate jaemin at all LMAO jaem would be like “HAHA COME AND GET ME LOSER!! OH WAIT, U CANT BC U CAN’T CRAWL UNDER STUFF HAHAAHA- oh shit wait he got me HELP!!”

even though jaem tries to act all tough, he ends up getting killed by the beast, aka jeno, every time jeno is the beast. yes, jeno is just too good at being the beast for his own good.

jaemin would do good, too, but I can see him being better at hacking than jeno. omg just imagine jaemin hacking something and he’s almost done and then SUDDENLY he’s boped on the head by jeno’s hammer and it scares him so badly.

however, I feel like jeno would rope jaemin into playing more adventure games with him and jaemin would def just complain the whole time about how long it takes to walk to get the items for quests. wbk jaem is a huge complainer, I mean, have you heard how much he complains about jisung not wanting to accept his love? LMAO

jeno would just be vibing, though, not even paying attention to jaemin’s complaining and just working on his quests in his time. we love a chill king.

lee donghyuck ↬ silent assassin

again... do I even have to explain my reasoning behind this?

hyuck literally plays Overwatch 24/7 until it’s almost 2 or 3 am at night... so why wouldn’t he do the same but with silent assassin on roblox instead??

I can see him just getting upset when he only gets 4th place in the free for all game mode. he’d be like “dammit not again!! ugh this guy just stole all my kills what the heck!?!”

obviously he would get better at the game bc he would play the shit out of it. he would probably play it 24/7 like he does with Overwatch and would hit level 40 in a few days.

I can see it now, his desk littered with empty redbull bottles as he tells himself he’ll only play one more round of silent assasin... yeah no that was a lie he ends up playing until he’s ready to pass out in his bed.

and ofc johnny would be like “bro wtf why are u so addicted to this game?? get some rest man.”

“no.... I need to... upgrade my weapons more.... I need... MONEY!”

I can also see him forcing mark to play this game with him but lemme tell you something... mark would absolutely suck at this game. I mean, ofc he would get better as time passed but he wouldn’t be as good as hyuck.

when he first was assigned assassin I can just hear him being like “omg how do I move?!?! WHAT SOMEONE JUST KILLED ME!!’

hyuck would just sigh and type in the chat “you suck man learn the controls next time 🙄”

“stfu troll u can’t say anything until u learn the controls for pubg” mark would say back and would accidentally get banned or something for his swearing SAHDASHDJA.

I feel like hyuck would get banned too bc I can DEF see him as a troll alongside chenle. would probably scream dramatically when someone would kill him on the game too and would be an AMAZING assassin.

he would def ambush mark any second he got to as he was the assassin and would probably get the most kills in every game mode. mark would end up rage quitting and then hyuck would say something about mark being such a pansy. (and yes, that’s how hyuck gets banned LMAO mark bans his trolling ass)

na jaemin ↬ where’s the baby and/or daycare

okay so I can def see jaemin forcing jisung to play where’s the baby with him just bc he considers jisung his child... yes jaem loves jisung so much that he’s convinced that he birthed him HJSADHADJ

jisung would always want to be the adult bc he REFUSES to be the baby (mainly bc jaem wants him to be the baby on the game every time)

jaemin would be like “omg lemme take care of u jisung!! omg NO DON’T CHOP OFF MY ARM WTF SUNGIE!?”

jisung would be ruthless while playing with jaemin... he would just want to kill jaemin all the time and jaemin would be frowning about it the entire time.

“you know what, sungie? I’ll let you kill me on this game bc of how much I love you 😚“

“ew no nvm I’m leaving 🤮”

however, I feel like jaemin would be good at the hide and seek mode for where’s the baby. he’d find jisung within SECONDS. I can just imagine jisung hiding in the bush or something and jaemin would just immediately KNOW that jisung would be in the bush like... idk maybe it’s his seventh sense (😏) 

also, his sixth sense is that he knows when jisung is hungry, sad, angry, annoyed, all of the above man. yes, he can just sense those things and honestly none of the other members in nct dream understand HOW he can do that. (renjun is convinced that jaem is from a completely different planet and is only here to baby jisung... I mean, he’s not wrong though??? LMAO)

for the reason why he plays daycare... yeah maybe it’s just an excuse to scare jisung with that creepy demon character LMAO. he knows how much of a scaredy cat jisung is, and just loves hearing jisung scream when the demon always spawns near him SHJDASJDH

jaemin knows all the ins and outs of daycare and just abt story games in general... and yes, jisung def eats the poisonous apple and ends up dying right after they escape the daycare SADJASHDJH

I can see jaemin and mark playing story games in their free time, and when one of the younger members join them, they just know it’s gonna be fun when they have no idea what’s going on :D (and when they eat something poisonous)

zhong chenle ↬ tycoon and/or a horror game

so wbk that this nerd would play a tycoon to make even more money than he has right now.

to be specific, he would probably be the richest person on the server and just taunt people with how much money he has.

“oh you guys want this??? a million dollars??? well.... okay I’ll give it to you... SIKE BITCH U THOUGHT!”

he would be the biggest troll ever I’m calling it now.

he would probably end up getting banned for laughing at another user crying about not having enough money on the tycoon game.

“awhhhh you don’t have as much money as me??? haha oh well not my problem 😎😎“ (yes chenle is an avid user of this emoji)

he would have to end up making a new roblox account bc of how he was banned and the guy who he made fun of would end up just chuckling behind his screen about it. (chenle wouldn’t care though LMAO he would still come back and rock that kid’s shit and be the richest person on the server)

I can also see him playing some scary game and roping jisung into it just to scare him shitless.

“OMG JISUNG WATCH OUT THERE’S A DEMON BEHIND U!!! HAHA MADE U LOOK!!!”

cue jisung flinching like a madman to just realize no one was behind him. “lele ur such an ass!!”

however, chenle would also just scream when anything remotely scary happens just to scare jisung even more. jisung would end up rage quiting at this and saying that he’s gonna go to bed instead.

and yes chenle would wake jisung up at 3 am just to scare him with an image from the horror game they played on roblox earlier. you remember how they scared him by setting a cockroach as his home & lock screen on his iPad that one time? yeah just imagine that but with a demon face from a horror game SHDASJDJ.

park jisung ↬ bee swarm simulator

do I even have to explain this???

he would end up getting addicted to the game after chenle had shown it to him one day.

“OMG CHENLE LOOK AT THIS LEGENDARY BEE I JUST GOT OMG OMG!!!” 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THE KING BEETLE JUST KILLED ME THIS IS UNFAIRRRRRR!” chenle would just frantically scream into jisung’s ears and jisung swore that one day he would become deaf bc of his best friend.

chenle would show jisung all the tips and tricks on how to be better at the game and next thing u know jisung plays the game almost every day. he also freaks out when his bees get sad bc of the field they’re in and immediately goes back to his hive to feed them and make them feel better.

also jisung’s favorite bee would def be the demon bee.... no I will not elaborate on this.

jisung would treat his bees like his own children, making sure they’re all fed and happy. he would scream whenever he would get a royal jelly and would be obsessed with just hatching random bees all the time.

would def do the most just to upgrade all of his items but he’d do that just so he can fly everywhere and move faster. yes he would want to use his glider everywhere even when he doesn’t need to use it he uses it.

would probably end up getting stuck somewhere on the map and chenle would have to help him LMAOO

he would def complain about how much pollen he would have to collect and then would get distracted by how cute his bees are 5 minutes later. probably ends up playing the game for 4 hours straight without noticing until chenle yells at him to get off so the two of them could eat lunch together. (and dw, ofc he eats well after playing for so long he’s a growing boy <3)

[snowstorm808]

More than Friends review eps 9-16

I previously posted my review of the first half of the series because I could not contain what I felt. It was quite impulsive of me but I wanted to let out everything I thought and felt for this drama. It is becoming better every time in such a way that I see the little creative ideas the writer or director is putting into each episode along with the development of the story. Familiar yet refreshing. I decided to create a new post because I saw that the first half recap was way too long if I would still add the remaining episode reviews because I just could not help it. I do understand that the length could be frustrating but I want my words to be read too, so thank you for everyone patient enough to read my words.

Episode 9 - Watching this episode made me realize a double standard I never really noticed before but I guess drama watchers would be able to relate to; the difference of pitiful and pathetic for female and male leads. I’m not yet certain if it’s deliberate but female characters locked in one sided love often seem pathetic but when it’s a male character they seem pitiful? Woo Yeon did seem pathetic in her one sided love in the earlier episodes so why does Soo get to be pitiful? It’s the same for the past dramas I’ve watched too. It’s just a food for thought. Based on last week’s preview, I really thought Joon Soo would punch Lee Soo after the drunk call but he held back so good job, Joon Soo. Honestly, I thought he wouldn’t be able to hold back because not only was he angry of the fact that Woo Yeon was getting swayed by Soo, but also because he knew how much it hurt, and hates the fact that she would still be hurt over the latter after a decade. This is why I keep wanting Joon Soo because he never thought selfishly when it came to Woo Yeon. I also love the fact that his character is being shown as someone seemingly perfect with a lot of flaws too. I love seeing his flaws and even relating to them! Being used to holding back is probably the reason why I write so much because I swear I can’t talk this much at all. I really hope he would stop holding back for his own sake. I think the most favorable Soo I have ever seen was him drunk calling his dad. I love the fact his parents went to his house to talk and console him. I also realized that Soo really closed himself up enough to have no one but his dad to drunk call. That was sad because the high school gang never really shunned him but he was the one who kept his heart closed. I half expected his folks to announce that hey would be back together because I feel that’s where those two are headed to eventually. As for Woo Yeon, I’m somehow glad she mustered up the courage to break up with Joon Soo after everything. As much as I was dreading it, I also felt that it was the right decision. She knew that it was too cruel to let him hurt quietly so I’m glad she had that decency; I could see that she was doing her best to be firm with her resolve. On her behalf, I get it why it’s difficult for her to let go of her feelings for Soo so I do not think she’s a weird one for that. I know that this is where my ship stops its sail but I’m satisfied that it’s not as I feared it would. The fight scene was reminiscent of Jealousy Incarnate, I just hope Dong Jun faked the punch because I know how athletic he has been from his Idol days which is enough for me to be scared for Seung Woo. Conveniently, it was only after this that Soo decides to take a break from pursuing Woo Yeon after ruining her chance to start anew with someone. Eventually, I know that Woo Yeon would not be able to defy the flow of her feelings towards Soo but I hope he can also grow up more because right now, I can still see him being selfish and self centered in his approach.

Episode 10 - How can one episode contain so much emotions? And it was all types of emotions at that! I mean one moment it’s awkward, cute, upsetting, lovely, funny then sad and even more! This episode was a roller coaster of emotions in my opinion. First thing’s first, the younger guy Jinju dated is a total loser and a scumbag. Good thing Sang-hyeok was there to the rescue. I feel so bad for Young-hee because every time she takes a step forward, she’s always dragged two steps back. She has a strong personality but it does not mean her situation does not wear her down too. So here comes the roller coaster because Lee Soo and On Joon Soo drinking together and ending up at Woo Yeon’s place is super cute. That includes her parents’ “interview” with the two men while they try to show off their “qualities”. I literally said “boom” when Joon Soo “let slipped” that Soo was the jerk Woo Yeon’s parents have been hunting for. That was really petty but I guess it’s his little revenge on Soo for interrupting their relationship when he used to date Woo Yeon. I am not going to lie about not loving the misunderstanding Soo had when he saw them together in the restaurant while he was with his parents. He tends to act so victimized which I really dislike then he readily blows up at Woo Yeon. But then again, it makes these characters more human then the usual kdrama characters I watched in the past. Lee Soo should really learn to express things more clearly so Woo Yeon would stop thinking that he’s simply bored or fooling around. As for Joon Soo, it’s a lost battle and I feel bad for him because he has become a masochist which is why I need to take care of him. I need Woo Yeon’s cooperation for this...

Episode 11 - Soo is finally given the chance he keeps on missing. As much as I am sad for my ship, I’m happy Woo Yeon and Soo are coming around although it isn’t the full circle yet. I do feel really bad for Joon Soo but it has always been clear how strong Woo Yeon’s feelings have been for Soo. I like how she at long last clearly stated that she will always give Soo the chance whatever he does because it has been evidently true for the past episodes. I guess that’s enough proof that feelings can’t be controlled easily. My favorite part in this episode would be her giving Soo an ultimatum because I always had a feeling he thought of her as a port always there for him. My second favorite in this episode would be Sang Hyuk and Jinju! He’s so sweet and caring which is exactly what she needs. Will they be my favorite couple? Hehe. I just want to take a bit of time to swoon over Joon Soo because he cares a lot for Woo Yeon though it isn’t returned, I appreciate him wishing her well. I can’t help but wonder if there will be another drama between Woo Yeon and Soo, because if he hurts her one more time then I would prefer her to be alone (I’ll be taking Joon Soo.)

Episode 12 - I never thought Soo and Woo Yeon together would be this mushy haha. They are making up for the lost time and I like seeing them happy and somewhat letting go of the inhibitions they had. And for the first time, I think I want to scold the writer for adding a character like Yura because seriously, those two no longer need another person to interrupt them. I suppose it’s to make up for the remining episodes? But then it could be expound on things like commitment issues for Woo Yeon and Soo, and taking the next step for their relationship. I do secretly hope for Joon Soo to make a comeback but not necessarily in a romantic light. Obviously, Soo is the one being careful now when it comes to dealing with Woo Yeon. I like seeing him nervous of losing her because it keeps him on his toes though I hope he would be more direct about it instead of acting cool so she won’t misunderstand anymore. I remember him saying he dated around too but Woo Yeon seems more like the one used to dating. I guess he never really thought of the other party when dating. I can sort of imagine his ex-girlfriends putting more effort than him.

Episode 13 - Lol, Soo should’ve been more sensitive when Woo Yeon insisted on going home by herself. I find it so cute when she defended Soo from her parents, she was so cheeky to point out her dad’s faults. After everything they have been through I hope they can do well from now on but something tells me otherwise. At least Woo Yeon finally said the magic words Soo has been so anxious to hear. It seems she was too nervous and being careful to say it though I had the initial impression that she must’ve had a stigma of some sort to those three words. I somehow feel nervous about Soo’s job offer from the airline because it might lead to a fight or even a break up. Speaking of a break up, I’m sad Hyun-jae and Young-hee had to part ways though it was one-sided. I do get the pov of his family but I can’t relate to the pressure of marriage. By the way, am I the only one who thinks Kwon Yura’s character is waste? I mean I don’t see much purpose for her character because she does not threaten the main lead’s relationship other than making Woo Yeon want to doll up herself. I must say one of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Woo Yeon went to the salon and told the staff she’s meeting with her boyfriend’s woman. I love how the customers and salon staff reacted even calling in their boss to style her. Was it a parody? I’m not sure because I have sworn to lay my hands and eyes off all dramas that deal with a husband’s mistress. Nevertheless, it was super witty and I had a lot of fun watching that scene including the one where she deliberately posed further behind Yura to make her face look smaller. Lastly, Sang-hyeok and Jinju are finally together! They look so cute together and make the perfect couple. In fact, all three couples seem to be perfect for each other because they complement each others’ personalities well. 

Episode 14 - This must be the episode where everyone breaks up or gets rejected. But before that, I can’t get over the expression Woo Yeon’s mom wore when she said to pack up contraception for her trip with Soo. One minute they were having a lovely mother-daughter moment then she suddenly brings that up. As much as most people would find it awkward, I think it was so funnily straightforward. Her mom cares which suddenly reminds me of the reaction of Young-hee’s mom when she found tons of condoms in her drawer. Another reaction I really enjoyed was when Woo Yeon and Soo found out Jinju and Sang-hyeok are dating! The way she splashed water out of shock really showed how it was the farthest thing in her mind. From the time Soo’s work offer came, it already seemed ominous along with Woo Yeon’s offer so I was not surprised with the break up. Maybe it was for the better; I have been mulling over Woo Yeon’s reasoning that she might end up hating Soo if they stayed together. The loneliness was eating her up which I believe is realistic in a long distance relationship like theirs. Soo shouldn’t have readily agreed regardless if he was thinking of her or not. Considering these two pursued their careers, I think this would leave less regrets in their hearts because they were able to fulfill the dreams they had. Their feelings for each other will always be there because they are Soo and Woo Yeon. I just need to wait how they will get back to each other.

Episode 15 - While watching this episode, I couldn’t stop thinking that this is the episode I finally see Lee Soo as someone heartbroken and not self centered, also, am I the only one who thinks his hair styled up is way better than his hair down? At last, I got to see Soo’s feelings of longing for Woo Yeon instead of his attitude of forcing his feelings like earlier into the series. I think it’s his maturity plus his sincerity in wanting her back because he now knows how it is to lose her. Their break up might just seem like another ploy by the writer to extend the series but I also think it was helpful to both Woo Yeon and Soo. In the first place, they decided to be apart so their careers could flourish which made them busy and drift apart. It also brought to light the insecurities they had especially Woo Yeon who had been so used to be the only one who in love. I think her fears of having the person she loved and wanted the most surfaced which keeps her from returning to him even if he’s practically begging her back. I just hope Soo would’ve made efforts to contact Woo Yeon or get her back after that break up call just as he was when he was courting her instead of stepping back. I guess it was partly a good thing because they were able to achieve certain things for their careers during that time too. Meanwhile Young-hee’s mom’s death was inevitable but at least they got to resolve the hard feelings and she was able to convey her love for her children. I think among the deaths I’ve seen in kdramas, this is the most touching for me. I must really be getting old to be sentimental like this. I also felt envious of the leads’ friendship. This episode showcased it the most especially how they supported Young-hee through the most difficult time in her life. I also love how they quietly support the complicated relationship of Soo and Woo Yeon. They have never attempted to kill him so yup they are good people.

Episode 16 - Loose strings are tied up in a pretty bow as the friends gear up for each of their happy endings. Joon Soo decides to let go of his feelings for Woo Yeon (he’s finally free to walk towards me! Yay!) I really like their hug because it sums up the affections and friendship they had. Good thing Soo wasn’t there to tear them apart. I also like that Soo is still a bit jealous of Joon Soo because whenever I remember how arrogant he was about stealing Woo Yeon away, I still want to punch him. His mom’s pushing aka guilting Woo Yeon was indeed effective, heh. Seriously though, it seems to me that his mom did it because she did not want him to end up like his parents and perhaps it was her way of making up for their negligence and mistreatment of him. I love the fact that Soo and Woo Yeon continued to fight and make up even after getting back together, it was very much in their character. It’s also nice that Soo’s parents decided to give their relationship another shot. It makes me think that they too learned from their son. Jinju’s and Sang-hyeok’s wedding pictorial was super lovely, it was very smart of them to trick Soo into it haha. Young-hee and Hyun-jae are finally back together too! Thank goodness, they’re getting married instead of returning to dating. As much as I cringed with their cheesiness, it was very much welcome and cute to watch. All six of them had their own cringey and cheesy way of saying and doing things. I think this drama has one of the most satisfactory endings ever, now, if only On Joon Soo can find his way to me...

More than Friends has met the amount of romance and tension that I always look for yet refreshing and not too cliché. I love the little details and the way it explored different types and stages of relationships including of different age groups. I hope other viewers would also get to see how the writer tried to portray these in the drama. Watching the ending made me realize the drama’s title was probably referred to these couples because they started as friends and became more than just that. Honestly, their situation is quite idealistic but I think it’s so cute if it does happen in real life. I’m happy I watched this even if it was mainly for Kim Dong Jun. Literally before watching this, I watched Moment of Eighteen then even prior to that, I watched Meow, The Secret Boy. MoE was sad because Junwoo had to put off his dreams and relationship to help out his mom. I initially wanted to skip or wait till later to watch it but ended up being hooked to it. Hehe.

One of the things I find fascinating in this drama is the casting! Shin Ye Eun’s step mom in MTSB became her actual mom while her dad became Lee Soo’s dad this time. There lots of familiar faces which made me like the drama even more. 

[costellos]

LOL A 401K IM DEAD but honestly...... tru

all that tax stuff, retirement plans.... nanami’s got it covered. and then there’s gojo, committing tax fraud 🤧 i’d compare gojo to salt as a seasoning but that’s kinda mean, he does have some flavor. like, sugar probably suits him better?? sweet, can be addicting, but bad for you if have too much of it 🙈 AND THEN NANAMI. man’s the whole spice rack, he wouldn’t have it anything less since he loves food so much 😤 he is, as we say, umami personified 🤌

yeah, it’s unfortunate lmfao but oh well. i do occasionally have them in a smoothie though, like you said!

alsjfhsha it’s def time consuming.... like i’d be sitting down w my family and when i’m finally done picking it all out, they’ve finished eating welp 😭 and yeah, the rational part of me knows that, but i’m that person someone has to go up the service worker for and be like “excuse me she asked for no pickles” (except i didn’t 🙈) i’m much better in restaurants bc the language barrier isn’t as intimidating so i will tell them to leave out an ingredient if it’s something i can’t easily take out

mmmmm i can see that! he’d be the guy who’d eat pizza with a fork and knife wouldn’t he lol. and dab all the excess oil off w a napkin. he probably only goes to the Legit pizza places too haha but i think if he likes you enough he can be convinced to eat almost anywhere

ofc!! ask games are more fun if it goes both ways 😌 and ooooo tsumu! interesting...... 👀 those are honestly such good date ideas w a guy like atsumu! that’d rly be smth he’d enjoy and ngl the moment i read ‘something physical’ i immediately imagined y’all racing LMAO. he’s a prime example of how competition can be good for you w the right person, so i can see you filling in the space osamu left after he decided to focus more on his food aspirations. like imagine making cute lil bets w him and the loser having to do what the winner wanted hehe. omg a double date w the miya twins would be sm fun tho??? from my impression of you so far, i definitely trust you to keep tsumu in line lmfao so catch me there. me and osamu are the ones spectating and judging your guys’ competitions and cheering you on to beat atsumu like we’re olympic commentators or smth LOL

aaaaa i’m honestly p shy but if anything can get me to come off anon, it’d be nanamin 😂 (it’s like we’re todo and yuji bonding over their shared type but w nanami skdjfjsjsjs) let me know if you prefer to keep it here or on discord and i’ll give you my account, whichever platform you like better! also congrats on 1k! much deserved!! 🎉

cut for length!

A;LDSKJ GOJO WOULD COMMIT TAX FRAUD. lmao salt is a lil mean!! sugar is more fitting <3 sugar is also used for more fun foods, and I feel like it matches him bc of his sweet tooth. but Nanami........ o lawd. definitely the whole spice rack yes. 100% agree. pls I would use him in everything. wait was that a weird thing to say?

ah I totally understand! well, u got this friend. the next time u go out for Mexican food, I’ll be there cheering for u in spirit!!

and yes.... ugh... I don’t think he’s particularly picky, he’ll try anything. he just doesn’t like foods that are excessive, if that makes sense? like what you were saying with the grease. I think he’s more the type to like subtle flavors. an obnoxious meat lover’s pizza from The Hut would be a no go, but he’s down for a, quote, Legit Pizza Place. the kind of Italian restaurant that’s authentic! but let’s admit it, by that point it wouldn’t even technically be “pizza.” authenticity comes with a price :’)

ty friend you’re far too kind 🥺 AND PLS YOU’RE MAKING ME BLUSH OVER MY LAPTOP HHHHHHH. I would love nothing more than to fill the Osamu-shaped hole in his heart once they both go into their separate careers. and god..... don’t encourage him. or me. I would definitely make bets w him. and I would win. but thank you sweet anon, I would do my best to keep him from annoying the shit out of you!! it would be an honor to have you and Osamu comment on our tomfoolery. 👉👈

MY GOD I WAS ABOUT TO KEYBOARD MASH AGAIN. we’re definitely Todo and Yuji.... u like Nanami and so now I’m obligated to imagine a whole life we coulda had together in high school together. even tho I graduated five years ago. and I’m assuming you did some time ago too since you mentioned you’re old...... lordt. anyway! thank you for the congrats!! I would love to discuss more headcanons and such w you over Discord! dm me and I’ll add you so that we can sob over Nanami’s absence in the anime <33

nanamin date anon said: me, rewatching eps 9-13 on replay until the new episode comes out: hahaha i love all the jjk characters equally! nanamin and *looks at smudged writing on hand* the extras

lol i love them all rly, it’s just super refreshing to have an adult like nanami in a shounen

haha yeah, i’m definitely glad i’m not the oldest (bc that’s way too much responsibility for me, idk how they do it) so being player 2 as a younger sibling isn’t too bad, especially since it’s the story that i’m usually more interested in rather than the gameplay itself. i don’t have to worry about remembering which buttons to press in a fight when i can just watch the plot play out lol. (it’s definitely a good game, i just suck at the controls 😅 my brother let me play a bit and i couldn’t get the web swinging down i was struggling so bad aslfjjfsjak) what sort of games are you into? 👀

even if it’s boring to some ppl, watching is a good way to experience the game for yourself as well, esp if it’s a single player game! ofc i do tend to prefer multiplayer games, but it’s not too dissimilar to watching someone play a sport tbh. AND NO KENMA IM PRO-SIDEQUEST LIVE OUT YOUR COMPLETIONIST DREAMS. if we gotta fetch that dude a super rare item to unlock his backstory we MUST do it ok

YEAH! mikorin is also voiced by noya’s va! it’s honestly a shame gsnk didn’t get a second season, it’s so good 😔

me: lol does that mean kuroo’s your tomoda

kenma: ok this date is over

LMFAOOOOO not my fault the popular choices are the ones that get you the good end 😤 and it’s all good, i’m also guilty of replaying to see how the other choices impact the story haha. if there’s no save system tho, i’d make him switch out w me every time we replay bc i’d zone out at all the repeat stuff (bless games that have a skip option 🙏)

UGH TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! ok so I love the other charas too but.... Nanami’s so good. so good. iono about you, anon, but I went back and rewatched his episodes from the dub and it made me Feel Things. and I agree, it is refreshing to see an adult like him in shounen. esp since he treats the kids like kids. and he makes it clear that their being kids is never a bad thing. I will reiterate: he’s so good.

ahhh friend that’s so nice!. your brother sounds really chill. plus it sounds like a good balance: you get to watch the story, and he gets to dick around!! win-win. and as for my fav games, I’m up for anything! I try to avoid co-op games like Overwatch bc I get too competitive and I’m a sore loser lmao (but they are fun!). the last games I played were the Last of Us 2 and Persona 5, two very different games, but stuff that’s a good time nonetheless. tbh as long as I can immerse myself in the story and there’s tons to explore, I’m down. what about you?? you’d kind of mentioned otome games and Animal Crossing, but I’m curious!

hm. interesting. that’s a nice way to look at it. I guess if it’s a really good game, it’s no different from an interactive movie! also Kenma would love that omg you’re going to save so many villages in the rpgs he plays w you.... gotta max out EVERYTHING. every side quest! every mundane task!! collect literally every feather!!! but I feel like he would pass the time by making idle conversation. like some dumb shit Lev had mentioned earlier that day. such a nice way to unwind at the end of the day, shit talking Lev w his fav person 😌

anyway! going back to completionist stuff: Kenma would have such a blast going back and replaying games w you! and yes bless games w a skip option hhh. thankfully he’d remember all your previous choices together, so he can help navigate where to go next. he has no qualms handing the controller over, I think he’d love to curl up next to you and analyze how you play! but I also feel like he’d be giving unwarranted suggestions....... thanks, Kenma.

also, about Mikorin’s va: WHAT. OH MY GOD. so many things to learn..... pls. indulge me w your trivia.

[satsuki2406]

Dear Aomi Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

"I've seen you in a dream before, you are the warm and bright presence that embraced me on Cape Kamui a long time ago on a June afternoon."

Shinohara (Y/N) is a normal girl who had everything she could ask for, a loving family, a beautiful home, friends, and a fluffy cat. For a long time, she gave her life and happiness for granted, never imagining that she'll face one of the worst and crueler facades of society so closely, destroying what once was a happy, harmonious and normal family. One day, in hopes to recover what they lost, the Shinohara family took one of the more difficult decisions of their lives; leave behind their home back in Hokkaido and travel hundreds of miles south until Musutafu, the place that could grant them a solution and help close the yet fresh wound and scare away the ghosts of the past. Hardheaded, passionate, and ambitious (Y/N) is forced to confront the incarnated face of the superhuman society that she hated the most; Bakugou Katsuki.

PAIRING: (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

GENRE/WARNINGS: Romance, Fluff, Angst, Dark Themes, My poor attempt of humor, Strong language (Courtesy of Lord Explosion Murder 💥), Manga Spoilers, LONG ass chapter.

STATUS: On going

Chapter 1: School is a Great Place to Make Enemies

2-My Stupid Classmate, the Angry Dandelion

Running steps along tired panting could be heard through the empty streets. Both teens were now a good distance from school but adrenaline pushed them to keep going a little more. But once the necessity of breathing started to kick in, both decided that a break would be more than appreciated. They came to a halt at the entrance of a tunnel and concentrated now on catching their breath, once he was recovered enough to talk, Midoriya, timidly made the first comment. “Shi-Shi-Shinohara-san…!” (Y/N), getting one last intake through her nose, landed her eyes on Midoriya who whimpered nervously hardly believing that now he had officially talked to a girl who wasn’t his mom. “Huh? What is it?”

The poor boy, unsure of what to do and terribly flustered, tried to rearrange his thoughts while covering his reddened face with his arms.

“W-Why you di-did that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Confront Kacchan, de-defend me I mean” Midoriya almost whispered.

“And why shouldn’t I? You were being a victim of injustice so I stepped in, that’s how it works, if you see someone in trouble, you help them, that’s the correct thing to do isn’t it?”

Midoriya watched amazed at (Y/N) while she sweetly smiled at him, touched by her words.

“W-Well I guess b-but... you-you don’t think I’m a loser cause I’m quirkless?! A-Aren’t you going to avoid me like everybody else does? Make fun of me like the rest of the class?!”

“To be honest Midoriya, ‘til this moment you haven’t give me a single reason to do any of that, actually, you look like a nice guy.” Midoriya’s blood pressure was sky high at this point, a pretty girl faced no other than Bakugou fucking Katsuki for his sake twice in the timespan of eight hours, talked to him kindly and also complimented him? All in the same day?!

‘This is so crazy!’

“Midoriya?” (Y/N)’s voice interrupted his accelerated thoughts. “Y-Yes?!”

“Are you ok? I mean, Bakugou blasted your desk at the beginning of the class- oh by the way! What was that notebook you had earlier? ‘Hero notes for the future’ was it? I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from burning it, but at least it didn’t end at a koi pond or something.” (Y/N) said with a closed-eye smile.

“I-It’s ‘He-Hero Analysis for the Fu-Fu-Future’ actually, b-but you g-got it close! H-Hero notes is ok! I-I mean if you want to call it that way! But you can call it whatever you like! If you want to put it a specific name it is, if not, it is ok! Oh my God...! This is kind of overwhelming, we just jumped from a third floor but we are safe and sound! I can’t believe you actually confronted Kacchan, b-but what if now he starts targeting you?! It would be all my fault! I’M SO SORRY SHINOHARA-SAN!! But unlike me, you could rely on your quirk to defend yourself, but after what happened today, he will try to take revenge for sure…! And my situation with him could get even worst, especially after what happened today! But even though…*mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter…*”

Midoriya kept blabbering and blabbering endlessly and (Y/N) just could sweat drop and observe him with eyes wide as saucers. ‘He definitely has no friends, huh? Even if it sounds mean, it was expected.’ (Y/N) took a deep breath and smiling at the awkward greenettte she decided to stop Midoriya’s creepy monologue before it got even longer.

“Midoriya…” She rose her hand and softly karate chopped the top of his fluffy head. “…snap out of it!” (Y/N) said while smiling at the now deeply flushed boy.

“I-I’m so sorry!” The poor boy said while aggressively bowing his head at a inhuman speed.

“Haha! No problem! You really are funny Midoriya! But please stop that you’ll damage your neck.”

“F-Funny?! M-Me?!”

“Yup! By the way, who’s Kacchan?”

“O-Oh, w-well Kacchan is actually Bakugou’s nickname, everybody used to call him like that when we were kids, I guess it just got stuck with me. His actual full name is Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Oh my God! You actually call him that all the time?! Hahaha! That’s sooo cute! I’ll tease him tomorrow with that for sure!”

“W-What?! No! Please Shinohara-san you’re already on Kacchan’s bad side! Don’t get in more trouble because of me!”

“I’m not afraid of Bakugou, Midoriya. As you said I can rely on my quirk for self-defense, and besides, if that asshole is that dead serious about getting into U.A he’ll try to keep his record as clean as possible. He’s nothing more than a bully who was lucky enough to get a strong quirk.” A serious and confident look was settled on (Y/N)’s eyes, Midoriya, despite being surprised by her courage, remained a bit doubtful. After suffering years and years of mental and physical abuse by Bakugou, he was unsure if it was a good idea for Shinohara to keep on irking the already irritable blond. But at the end, she had something he never will, a power of her own and self-confidence. Maybe he could try to rub on a bit of the last one.

“Oh, damn it! Our shoes still at school! I guess my plan wasn’t bulletproof after all…” Midoriya lowered his view to his shoes finding out that indeed, (Y/N) was right, a pair of white uwabaki* were covering his feet instead of his signature red shoes.

“Oh no! I forgot my bike too! My parents are going to kill me!” (Y/N) said desperately pulling her (Y/N) locks. “Crap I need to go back to school!” (Y/N) tried to put her head together with a plan to sneak into school and avoid bumping into Bakugou to avoid more trouble. ‘He probably left already, but I can’t take the risk anyway.’

“I-I’m sorry that you are having to get in all this trouble because of me, I’m sorry Shinohara-san” (Y/N) saw Midoriya’s sad expression, and a little pang of guilt passed through her. ‘I guess I have to be careful of what I say in front of him, he seems kind of sensitive and self-conscious, I’ll have it on account the next time.’

“Come on Midoriya! You take everything too seriously! And don’t forget that I was the one who decided to step up and give you a helping hand, so don’t overwhelm yourself with the simplest things! It was my mistake so I’ll solve it! As simple as that! (Y/N) said while she padded Midoriya’s back animatedly.

“Well! I guess this is when we part ways Midoriya! See yaaa!~” Just like that the lively (H/C)-ette ran her way to Aldera meanwhile Midoriya contemplated her get lost on the horizon. ‘That was so insane…! I don’t think this day could get more nuts…!’

 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️💨

“Goddamnit! My-my lungs are on fire! If it wasn’t for my regular workout routine, I would have passed out ages ago!” After a couple of minutes, the school came into view again, wheezing and with a tremendous thirst. (Y/N) finally arrived at her destiny. Once she recovered her breath, she started looking for some trace of Gru, Kevin and Bob at the school entrance. Once she verified that the coast was clear, (Y/N) proceeded to jog at the main entrance, where the shoe lockers were located. Thankfully nobody was there at the moment, the only remaining students at the school were the members of the clubs. After finding her locker, she quickly changed her shoes. ‘Perfect! Now to the bike parking we go! If I’m not wrong is at the back of the school’

Stealthy and cautiously, (Y/N) made her way to the bike parking only bumping twice with other students that fortunately weren’t the explosive blonde. Just a few minutes later she could already devise her goal at just a couple of feet away from her, fortunately they weren’t a lot of bikes there like in the morning so find it was easier than expected.

“If I’m not wrong, I put it in the third row to the left, so, in theory it should be right-AHA! There you are!” Right in front of her eyes, was a brand new, vintage style (F/C) bike. It was a gift that (Y/N) received from her parents after they moved to Musutafu, she has been dying to have one of those since the last summer, so it wasn’t an overstatement to say that she almost had a heart attack when she saw it parked with a big (F/C) bow on it at her new house’s driveway after they arrived.

Without wasting more time, she placed her bag on the front basket, unlocked the cable lock and got on the bike. Watching her surroundings one last time to make sure it was safe to go, she pedaled the bike with all her might until she was a fair distance from the school, again.

“That was a close one! I’m glad I didn’t bump into that stupid dandelion!” ‘Although I was honest when I said to Midoriya I wasn’t afraid of him, it doesn’t mean I want to start another argument with him, it would be the third of the day, been his classmate is exhausting enough.’ Thanks to the hectic events occurred no even an hour ago (Y/N) could appreciate better the beautiful view surrounding her, the soft spring breeze swayed the cherry blossoms making them rain over the sidewalk and the heads of the distracted passerby that walked under them. This was a really crazy day full of surprises, some more pleasant than others but having such a calming landscape was really comforting. ‘Maybe this city is not so bad after all’

(Y/N) train of though was abruptly disturbed by a strong explosion that resonated in the distance. “A villain attack? It looks like it is happening in the center-” “Indeed-nya, young lady, in the Commercial District to be more specific-nya” (Y/N) turned her head to find the origin of the voice that answered her inquiry to be found with an elderly woman with cat ears and tail accompanied by who seem to be her daughter. “How do you know it?” (Y/N) asked intrigued. “We just were evacuated from there by the heroes-nya” the younger woman said. “We happened to be shopping there when a villain took a middle schooler hostage-nya and stared to cause havoc in the place, explosions, stores on fire, people running everywhere, it was crazy-nya! We were fortunate enough to escape as soon as it started-nya!”

“Oh God!  A middle schooler?! That sounds awful! I hope the heroes can stop it soon, you really were lucky.” After share a couple more words they went on their separate ways. “Oh man! I was supposed to pass there to buy some stuff for dinner, I guess I’ll have to go to a konbini, I know mom will understand. Now the actual question is how I’m supposed to go home without going through the city centre that must be closed right now?” (Y/N) sighed resigned now that she had no choice. “The long way it is then I guess.”

 🚲🚲🚲

One hour. That was what took (Y/N) to reach her neighborhood, and she still need to go to the konbini before going home. “Thanks God I have the bike, otherwise I don’t want to imagine how long it would have taken to get here with the train station closed right now. I really need a bath~ I want to get into the ofuro* and never get out…” ‘Now that I think about it the konbini should be on this street- Oh! There it is!’ Just In cue with her thoughts the lights of the store made their appearance on the way, lighting the sidewalk in front of it. Quickly, (Y/N) rode her bike to the main entrance and locked it on the little bike parking close to the automated door. After entering, (Y/N) took a shopping basket and was welcomed by the attendant at the cash register. ‘This place is quite large, maybe I can find all I need, ok, so the list say I need carrots, chicken breast, milk, pork cutlet and eggs, it’s not too much’ “Alright let’s get over with this so I can go home!” (Y/N) nimbly navigated through the store to get everything she needed to, along with some snacks and a bottle of Ramune soda to drink during the way home. After she got everything she needed (Y/N) made a beeline to the cash register to pay and leave. She gave her basket to the cashier who proceeded to scan the products, meanwhile (Y/N) busied herself looking other costumers entering and leaving on the convex mirror close to the door; an elderly man, two girls around the same age as her, a kid, Bakugou, another kid…wait-

‘Bakugou?!’

“Danm old hag running out of soy sauce at this fucking hour…” (Y/N) could hear him grumbling as he entered the store, sweating bullets at this point she mentally implore the cashier to hurry the hell up so she could leave before he noticed her presence. ‘Why did I have to grab so many snacks?!’

Unfortunately, the luck that seemed to stick to her the whole day decided to run away before she could do it first, because just in that moment Bakugou decided to take a detour to the manga display section that happened to be right at the side of the cash register. To put the cherry on the top, the Ramune bottle decided to rebel at that moment and refused to be scanned after the third failed try. “Oh, the code seems to be a bit blurred, let me bring another one to scan it” said the cashier. Before (Y/N) could oppose and just leave without the drink, the cashier girl disappeared at the back of the store where the cold drinks were.

‘Please, don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t-’

“The fuck are you doing here thief bitch?” Bakugou sneered

‘Goddamnit!’

“Oh, I don’t know, if we look at the evidence presented here, I’m standing at a convenience store’s cash register with a basket full of products that I’m about to pay for, so what do you think I’m doing here genius?”

“Don’t you smart mouth me idiot” Bakugou sneered.

“Don’t ask stupid questions then”

“You! -”

“I’m back! Sorry for the delay. So, your total would be ¥2738” (Y/N) slammed 3 bills of ¥1000 over the counter, took her bags and told the girl to keep the change before exiting the store.

“Oi thief bitch! Come back here! I’m not done with you!” Bakugou left the Shonen Jump magazine he was holding and went behind (Y/N).

“Oi! I’m talking to you bitc!-”

“Can you just shut up?! I have nothing to talk with you! And stop calling me ‘thief bitch’! I have a name you tared!” Bakugou stopped on his tracks a bit shocked by her reaction, and looked at her load the bike basket with her shopping bags and angrily unlocking the cable to hop on it.  Hunching his posture and shoving his hands in his pockets he addressed her once more, this time more calmly.

 “What’s your problem with me?”

 (Y/N) stopped the bike making the rubbers screech against the ground before turning around to see Bakugou glaring at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me”

“If you mean that I completely dislike you and find you absolutely intolerable then yes, that’s my problem, well done Sherlock, can I go now?” (Y/N) turned her back to him with the intention of leave once and for all, but Bakugou had other plans. “What I said on class, what I said to Deku today, I mean it, Every. Single. Word. I’ll surpass All Might and become the strongest, richest and most powerful hero of all time, I don’t care what Deku or you do or think, I’ll crush you both.”

‘The nerve of this guy!’

A long pause took place after Bakugou’s statement, pleased with her silence the young male turned back to the konbini to buy the damn soy sauce his mother was nagging for and go home as well.

“You really are blind, aren’t you?”

“Hah?”

“You, like everybody else thinks that being a hero is all about recognition, fame, money, influence, power, right? Just because you have a powerful quirk you think you have what it takes to be a hero? You talk about surpass All Might yada yada all that crap. How are you supposed to be a hero and even more, exceed The Symbol of Peace himself when all you are is a bully? When you do nothing more than hurt and discourage, treating everybody like trash because you think you must be worshiped like a God who the Universe itself owns its very existence? Tell me Bakugou, you think that with how you are right now, one day when you try to rescue someone, can you guarantee that someone would take your hand? Trust in you blindly? Become a Symbol? You haven’t understood why All Might is the Number One Hero in the first place, it’s not all about fighting and kick everybody’s ass to oblivion. You may have been looking up to him all your life, and you still don’t understand.”

Bakugou looked at her astonished, how dare she to look down on him?!  Of course he had all that it takes to be a hero and more! He is the Bakugou Katsuki! The next Number One Hero! Who wouldn’t want to be saved by him?! He is the best! He is a winn-

“If all you ever do is look down on people, you won’t be able to recognize your own weaknesses.”

“Weaknesses?! What fucking weakne?!-”

“Didn’t you mommy sent you to buy soy sauce? I bet she must be waiting.”

“Don’t change the damn subject!- Oi! get your ass back here!”

“You already made me waste a lifetime, and like I said, I have nothing to talk with you”

As (Y/N) got farther and farther she could hear Bakugou’s shouting being muffled by the distance.

  “Ha, serves you right, asshole.”

  ✒A/N:

Did I invested 45 minutes of my life investigating the real prices in Japan of all the products in (Y/N)’s list to make the total amount as accurate as possible? Yes, yes I did. *cough*OCD*cough*  ¥2738 are approximately $25.61.

*Uwabaki: They are a type of Japanese shoes worn indoors, at home, school or certain companies and public buildings where street shoes are prohibited. 

*Ramune: Is a type of carbonated soft drink originally created and sold in Japan. It’s original taste is lime-lemon, very similar to a Sprite but sweeter and softer, it comes in a wide variety of yummy and weird flavors like bubble gum, melon, cola, curry or teriyaki. If you have the chance to find it give it a try, the original flavor is really good and open the bottle is really fun!